Basis and Financing

For a long time, the Municipality of Lausanne and its community services have carried out projects related to sustainable development in the fields of energy, mobility, city planning, social assistance, and education, although such a label was not always associated with the project.
Towards the end of 1998, acknowledging the need for coordinated action, the Municipality decided to formalize its policy on sustainable development by adopting a local Agenda 21 initiative. The first actual step was the acceptance of the Aalborg Charter (Charter of European Cities and Towns Towards Sustainability), which called upon cities to manage the unbalance that affected their society, by integrating its ecological, economic, and social aspects. Next, a community administration task force outlined the action to put into place. A global vision, affecting a majority of public action areas, was encouraged. The stated objectives are: a protected environment; a solid society; a strong economy; a partnership between the people, the authorities, and the administration.

Stages of Lausanne’s Agenda 21

The first document, marking the official launch of Agenda 21, was created in 2000. Focusing on the environment – a fundamental theme within sustainable development – it argued for the promotion of wood, pointing out the sizeable position that the forest industry has had in Lausanne for a long time.
More than just a predetermined action program, Lausanne’s Agenda 21 was intended to be an evolving process, and from then on the concern to comply with the principles of sustainable development has been a part of each new community project.
Lausanne’s Agenda 21 is contained in 7 sections: the environment; social assistance and housing; finance; education and training; transportation and mobility; the economy and  “Living Together”.
During the 2002-2006 legislature, the first six Agenda 21 sections were addressed.

Financing