Sustainable Development Survey
The UBC Commission on Environment has carried out sustainable development surveys since year 1998. These assessments monitor the state of sustainable development in the UBC member cities and local authorities and at the same time evaluate the success of the current UBC Agenda 21 Action Programme 2004-2009.
The last Baltic Cities Sustainable Development Survey 2006/2007 report presents the results and conclusions of the second Action programme assessment of the state of the art of sustainable development in the UBC member cities and local authorities.
According to the survey results, cities seem to be doing well on the policy level in the issues like: keeping the air quality, water management and good governance. However, the level of waste management is not satisfactory. There is still a lot to be done if we want to have a visible change at the end of the programme period. The most needed actions here are to start implementing Environmental Management Systems, make use of resources more effective, set tangible targets for CO2 reduction and decouple the linkages between economy transport and sustainability.
The survey represent the five thematic areas of sustainable development in the cities, as defined in the UBC Action Programme. The chosen indicators are mostly based on the data that already exist in most UBC member cities.
The last two assessments shows no negative trends. However, it remains clear that there is a need for stronger political commitment and action.
