Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Participated in the 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) participated in the 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns held in Aalborg, Denmark between 30 September – 3 October 2024. The event was organised in cooperation with Aalborg Municipality and ICLEI and focused on the development of sustainable cities and towns, cooperation between local governments and tackling climate change.

Mr Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Head of Foreign Relations Department and Mr. Onur Uğurdan, IMM Council Member and Deputy Chairman of the EU and Foreign Affairs Commission, attended the conference on behalf of IMM.

Mr. Onur Uğurdan delivered a speech at the opening plenary session entitled “Breaking the Spiral of Inaction” held on 1 October 2024. In his speech, Mr. Uğurdan drew attention to Istanbul’s projects in the field of sustainability and the challenges it faces as a large metropolis. He also emphasised the key role of local governments in tackling climate change and highlighted the importance of building stronger cooperation between cities.

Mr. Barbaros Büyüksağnak, Head of Foreign Relations Department, participated in the round table on “Beyond the EU” on the same day. Mr. Büyüksağnak shared Istanbul’s experiences in international sustainability projects and explained the city’s work towards climate goals. During the meeting, cooperation opportunities with cities outside Europe and development of joint projects were discussed.

In the mobile workshops organised as part of the visit, topics such as sustainable public transport and the role of nature in achieving climate goals were discussed. IMM actively participated in these workshops and shared its transformation projects and environmentally friendly practices in Istanbul’s public transport system.

Throughout the conference, knowledge and experience was shared between different cities, while Istanbul’s sustainability projects were welcomed with interest by the participants. In particular, the projects that Istanbul has successfully carried out despite the challenges it faces as a large metropolis have been a source of inspiration for other cities.