STOCKHOLM, May 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Clinton Climate Initiative Programme to Demonstrate Economic, Environmental Strategies for Sustainable Urban Growth

The Stockholm Royal Seaport development was announced today as one among 16 founding projects of the Climate Positive Development Program. The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) programme will support the development of large-scale urban projects that demonstrate cities can grow in ways that are climate positive. Climate Positive real estate developments will strive to reduce the amount of on-site CO2 emissions to below zero.

The Climate Positive Development Program was launched by President Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, on 19 May, 2009, at the C40 Summit in Seoul, South Korea. Along with the other founding projects, Stockholm Royal Seaport will demonstrate Climate Positive strategies, setting a compelling environmental and economic example for other cities to follow.

To reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions of their Climate Positive Development projects to below zero, property developers and local governments will agree to work in partnership on specific areas of activity. This includes implementing economically viable innovations in buildings, the generation of clean energy, waste management, water management, and transportation and outdoor lighting systems.

Last year, for the first time, half the world's population (3.2 billion people) lived in cities, and that figure is expected to grow to 70 percent by 2050. Cities occupy just 2 percent of the world's landmass, yet are responsible for more than two thirds of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. How cities change and grow is therefore a critical component for tackling the climate crisis.

The aim for Stockholm Royal Seaport is to be a showcase for sustainable urban construction where innovative Swedish environmental technologies and creative solutions are developed, tested and presented. The city district shall be an example for other cities to follow, a world-class environmental urban district, says Ulla Hamilton, Deputy Mayor, Environment and Traffic division.

Stockholm Royal Seaport has set an ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions. We have a strong focus on mobility management; promoting biking, public transport buses run on renewable fuels, and the use of plug-in hybrid cars. There are already charging poles for plug-in hybrid cars in the area, and this effort will be further extended. We are also looking very closely at the energy consumption of buildings - from low to zero to plus, she adds.

The new city district, Stockholm Royal Seaport, is currently being built in Stockholm's harbour area. Due for completion in 2025, Stockholm Royal Seaport will be a showcase for sustainable urban design where innovative environmental technologies and creative solutions are developed, used and presented. On completion, Stockholm Royal Seaport will be home to some new 10,000 apartments and 30,000 work places.

Located on former brownfield sites, the new city district has ambitious environmental targets. Stockholm Royal Seaport is aiming to be fossile fuel free by 2030, while the entire City of Stockholm is aiming for 2050. By 2020, residents and workers in Stockholm Royal Seaport should produce less than 1.5 tonnes of carbon emissions per person. The entire development project will focus on sustainable transport solutions, efficient building processes, energy conservation and energy efficiency, and on the whole adapted to future climate change. Swedes are good at creating sustainable and holistic system cycles. The key is to make it easy for residents to be environmentally friendly. This type of thinking is a gain to the City of Stockholm, contributing to a better environment and quality of life for its residents.

By combining CCI's business and finance expertise with the technical knowledge of the US Green Building Council, the Climate Positive Development Program will support the planning and implementation process for each real estate development and establish the standards and metrics by which the sites can measure climate-positive outcomes.

When the initial 16 projects are completed, nearly one million people will live and work in Climate Positive communities. These communities will be located in Melbourne, Australia; Palhoca, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; Victoria, Canada; Ahmedabad, India; Jaipur, India; outside Panama City, Panama; Pretoria, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa; Seoul, South Korea; Stockholm, Sweden; London, UK; San Francisco, USA and Destiny Florida, USA.

High resolution press images:

http://www.stockholmroyalseaport.com/page10.php

Ulla Hamilton, Vice Mayor of Stockholm

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3326/3538011005_6a0df1bbba_o.jpg

About the Clinton Climate Initiative

The William J. Clinton Foundation launched the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) to create and advance solutions to the core issues driving climate change. Working with governments and businesses around the world to tailor local solutions that are economically and environmentally sustainable, CCI focuses on three strategic programme areas: increasing energy efficiency in cities, catalysing the large-scale supply of clean energy, and working to measure and value the carbon absorbed by forests. In each of these programmes, CCI uses a holistic approach to address the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and the people, policies, and practices that impact them. CCI serves as the action arm of the C40, an association of large cities around the world that have pledged to accelerate their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more about the work of the Clinton Climate Initiative and the William J. Clinton

Foundation, please visit http://www.clintonfoundation.org

Press contact: Helena Widegren Head of Communications, The Mayor's Office +46(0)76-122-98-78

Press contact: Helena Widegren, Head of Communications, The Mayor's Office, +46(0)76-122-98-78