I was delighted to see Glasgow had been shortlisted – alongside Bristol, Brussels and Ljubljana – for the European Union's 2015 European Green Capital award in March this year.
Today the final judging will take place in Brussels and, though the winner will not be announced until next month, I believe Glasgow's dramatic reinvention from industrial powerhouse to leader in green innovation puts it firmly ahead of the pack.
In recent years the city has emerged as a green technology leader within the United Kingdom, on the cutting edge of sustainable technology. Glasgow was the first city in Britain to win a grant from IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge initiative, which will see it leverage data and analysis to make the services it provides more efficient while at the same time supporting sustainable economic growth.
In addition, the city has also secured £24 million in funding from the UK's Technology Strategy Board's Future Cities competition that will demonstrate how the intelligent deployment of technology can better integrate and connect more streamlined public services in the city. This joined-up working will minimise waste, decrease emissions and provide a template for other cities seeking to provide cleaner, greener and more responsive services to its citizens.
While these initiatives will position Glasgow well to meet the challenges of the future, work also continues apace across the city on everyday environmental improvements. One such project is looking at ways to heat homes using water trapped in the abandoned mines underneath parts of the city where the coal came from that helped fuel the city's industrial development. It has been estimated that up to 40% of Glasgow's heat could be generated in this way, which promises a dramatic fall in emissions compared to conventional power sources.
There have also been impressive new improvements in water-related infrastructure, with Scottish Water working alongside the council to clear sewers and watercourses. These improvements will help ensure Glasgow benefits from an environmentally friendly drainage network that can support modern development while meeting the challenges of climate change.
Great progress has also been made in decreasing water leakage which has led to a huge reduction in the amount of water produced at the Milngavie and Balmore water treatment works which serve most of the city and surrounding area. This has led to consequent savings in operating costs and carbon output.
It is also encouraging to see Glasgow committing itself to making next year's Commonwealth Games one of the greenest ever. This focus has led to the creation of an ambitious waste strategy that will see all food waste composted or sent to anaerobic digestion plants. Additionally, everyone involved in the event, from volunteers to contractors, will also receive specific sustainability training to help ensure all other waste is being reduced, reused or recycled as required.
Glasgow has a clear vision for the future and is committed to following through on its environmental ambitions. Becoming the first British city to win the European Green Capital award would be a major achievement and not only recognise the progress Glasgow has made in tackling its environmental issues but also provide a platform to share its expertise with cities across Europe.
This is especially important as the transnational character of many modern environmental issues makes the spread of best practice critical.
The 21st-century green revolution promises to be no less transformative than the Industrial Revolution that Glasgow helped initiate more than 250 years ago. Recognising Glasgow as a European Green Capital would prove that the city is poised to lead the way in green sustainability while demonstrating the best in Scottish innovation.
Struan Stevenson is a Conservative Euro MP for Scotland. He is President of the European Parliament's Climate Change, Biodiversity & Sustainable Development Intergroup.
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