Welcome to Harburg's Sustainability Portal

PLEASE NOTE: This website is currently undergoing a modernisation process. In 2012 it will appear in a slightly different design and hold new/additional contents focussing on climate change and related topics. Until then you may read and roam this platform as usual.

Within the framework of Hamburg's Climate Action Plan (Klimaschutzkonzept) 2007-2012, this remake is  co-sponsored  by the Behörde für Standtentwicklung und Umwelt (BSU) and Harburg's local parliamtent (Bezirksversammlung Harburg).  

Our offer
This trilingual platform provides free informal educational, communicational and networking services to the local public living in Harburg - one of Hamburg's southern districts - in German, English and Turkish language. It is run by "HARBURG21 - the Local Sustainability Network". This is a German non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) that aims to further the so-called "Agenda 21 process" predominantly at the local level.

Our background
HARBURG21 pursues the local implementation of the world-wide action programme "Agenda 21" (roughly meaning "Work list or plan for the 21st century") initiated at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil in 1992. Its objective is the sustainable development of our planet, which can only be achieved via concerted efforts at the global, national and local level for a socio-economically and ecologically viable way of life. Bio-diversity, renewable energies, ecological agriculture and fair trade are only some of the many issues involved in this.

Our goals
We wish to
(1) raise people's awareness about the economic, social and environmental challenges that humankind is facing in the 21st century,
(2) inform locals about sustainable developments in Harburg (and beyond),
(3) motivate the public to pursue a sustainable way of life, get actively involved in respective (local) projects, communicate their own initiatives, ideas, projects etc. on our web site and combine forces with other Agenda 21 groups.

Eventually, this platform is intended as an example of "good practice" that prepares the way for further (regional) measures of this kind.

Our web site
The platform divides up into the following sections and subsections:

 News 
about local sustainability developments and events

 Agenda 21
holding general information about its origin and subsequent development including the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014 (DESD) and sustainability in Hamburg

 HARBURG21
explaining its function (local Agenda 21) and structure (steering group, the office, focal groups, the support group and the patron)

 Focal actions
encompassing local projects, institutions and activities listed under eight headings: nature, energy, mobility, social issues, economy, consumption, and education for sustainable development

 Participate
briefing you on playing an active role in the local and global Agenda 21 process

 Service
supplying downloadable HARBURG21 flyers (guides, quizzes etc) and other material, our quarterly newsletter, recommended books, films and teaching materials and a topics related list of useful external local, national and international links 

Link:
Website United Nations

> Deutsche Version: Willkommen beim Harburger Nachhaltigkeitsportal
> Türkçe web sürümü: Harburg’un Sürdürülebilirlik Portalına Hoşgeldiniz