Melbourne Principles
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[edit] Creation of the Melbourne Principles
The Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities was developed in Melbourne (Australia) on 2 April 2002 during an international Charette, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. Experts at the Charette were drawn from developing and developed countries.
The Melbourne Principles were adopted at the Local Government Session of the Earth Summit 2002 in Johannesburg, as part of the final communique, known as Local Action 21 or the Johannesburg Call.
[edit] Contents
The Melbourne Principles consist on ten short statements on how cities can become more sustainable. Each principle has a few paragraphs of elaboration that provides additional information on its meaning and application. The Principles are designed to be read by decision-makers, and provide a starting point on the journey towards sustainability. Additional tools will be needed to operationalize the Melbourne Principles
The vision promoted by the Melbourne Principles is to create environmentally healthy, vibrant and sustainable cities where people respect one another and nature, to the benefit of all. The principles provide a key to unlocking a sound approach to transforming cities towards sustainability. They provide:
- A holistic approach to making cities sustainable.
- A framework around which consensus and commitment can be built and strategy developed.
- A framework in which cities can build their programs and engage their communities.
- A framework in which international, regional and country programs can coalesce and strengthen linkages and cooperation.
