Rio+20 Portal

The energy transition is already underway with local authorities being both, drivers and witness to it. One month before the RIO+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Energy Cities’ Annual Rendezvous invites Mayors to demonstrate their political commitment in Guimarães (Portugal), one of Rio de Janeiro’s (Brazil) twin cities.

As an outcome of our Rendezvous, 30 Mayors from 30 different countries will send out a strong signal : their vision synthesized in a set of 30 strategies for the energy transition of cities. These 30 mind-boggling ideas on how to consume and produce energy locally and efficiently will contribute to the Rio+20 deliberations and will also provide a concrete answer to the crisis.

Energy Cities’ conference for policy-makers will also try to find answers to the following questions : Which are the cultural roots that determine how and why energy is used and managed in a particular way ? What can we learn from other countries, regions, cities ? The two-day event will also prove that by re-organising a neighbourhood, city and region we are able to meet economic, social, environmental challenges simultaneously.

The 2012 European Culture Capital, Guimarães (Portugal), is the ideal place for meeting other “changemakers” as well as presenting, discussing and adopting mind-boggling ideas for innovative energy practices in cities.