Bylaws of the 20% Club for Sustainable Cities

Preamble

Background

The lifestyle of developed countries - mass production, mass consumption and mass waste- has triggered global environmental problems such as global warming and ozone layer depletion, threatening the earth's capacity to provide for fundamental human needs; meanwhile, developing countries are suffering from both poverty and population pressure, with the continuous environmental degradation which this entails.

As the urban population ratios rise dramatically throughout the world, cities have been recognized to be experiencing increasingly severe environmental degradation. The pursuit of sustainable cities is therefore a crucial element in achieving the goal of a sustainable society.

Agenda 21 has drawn attention to the central part played by economic and domestic activities at local level in causing global environmental problems. Local authorities with their close connection to the community, can therefore play a significant role in solving these problems.

With these factors in mind, the Kanagawa Declaration on Local Initiatives for Sustainable Cities was adopted at the World Conference on Local Initiatives for Sustainable Cities in November 1995, where representatives of 192 local governments from 62 countries gathered, and the 20% Club for Sustainable Cities was proposed.

The 20% Club was officially inaugurated in January 1997 at the International Workshop on Local Initiatives for Sustainable Cities held in Kanagawa prefecture.

Purport

To achieve a sustainable society, local authorities should formulate comprehensive, coherent and practical environmental management plans, and make every effort to improve the environment. To maximize the effectiveness of such improvements, it is important to tackle specified target areas with concrete measures. This will in turn lead to greater recognition both of the linkage between any particular target areas and other environmental issues, and of the need for comprehensive measures.

As the first step, each local authority will select at least one environmental issue according to its own priorities. The local authority will then set a numerical target or targets as the basis for action in this area, while retaining the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive environmental management plan as its final goal. The figure of 20% is a symbolic target and will not necessarily be regarded as a mandatory one: any figure around this level is also acceptable.

The 20% Club was established with the aim of promoting international cooperation among local authorities for sustainable cities.

Chapter 1. Name, Purpose and Activities

Article 1. Name

The organization shall be called the 20% Club for Sustainable Cities (abbreviated name: the 20% Club).

Article 2. Purpose

The 20% Club shall aim to realize urban sustainability by setting numerical targets - 20% reductions in environmental burdens, or 20% increases in environmental improvements - which shall be aimed to be achieved in approximately 5 years (depending upon the individual situation of members). This may be achieved in one area or in a combination of areas.

Article 3. Activities

1. The 20% Club shall contribute to more effective development of its members' efforts to solve environmental problems by promoting mutual exchanges of information and experience.

2. The 20%Club shall enhance the role played by members in improving environmental conditions at local level - in collaboration with other local authorities, central governments and international organizations - through the establishment of numerical targets in respect of specific urban environmental issues; in doing so the Club shall also contribute to improving environmental conditions at global level.

Chapter 2. Members

Article 4. Members

1. Members of the 20% Club shall be local government organizations such as city, town and village authorities and associations of such organizations.

2. Local government organizations wishing to apply for membership of the 20% Club should submit to the secretariat a completed application form signed by the head of the organization.

Article 5. Responsibilities of Members

1. New members of the 20% Club should submit a document describing the target areas, the numerical target(s), and the measures to be taken.

2. Members shall be expected to report annually to the secretariat on their progress towards their targets. The format for these reports shall be specified by the secretariat.

3. Members shall respond positively to requests from other members or from the secretariat for information relevant to the achievement of environmental improvement.

Article 6. Membership Dues

There shall be, at present, no compulsory membership dues.

Chapter 3. Secretariat

Article 7. Secretariat

The Global Environmental Forum (in Tokyo) shall serve as the secretariat, and the Senior Executive Director of the Global Environmental Forum shall serve the secretariat as its secretary-general.

Article 8. Services to Members

The secretariat shall provide the members with the following services:

1. Compilation and distribution of a membership list of the 20% Club,
2. Circulation of a newsletter which includes activities and progress of members,
3. Compilation and distribution of case studies,
4. Establishment of a homepage in the Internet,
5. Provision of certificates to members of the 20% Club,
6. Provision of individual member's reports on request, and
7. Clerical support for activities directly related to the 20% Club.

Article 9. Changes to the Bylaws

Any changes to these bylaws shall take place in General Assemblies of the members.

Supplement

These bylaws shall become effective from January 29, 1997.