On the Way to Sustainable Mobility

"We feel responsible for our Blue Planet - as the population grows, resources are decreasing dramatically, but transportation and mobility keep increasing", said Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG, on the third environmental forum in 2003.

For the fourth time now, DaimlerChrysler will be co-hosting the environmental forum in Magdeburg, Germany. Running from November 16 to 17, 2005, this symposium will again be held in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and with the support of the State of Saxony-Anhalt and Magdeburg, its capital city.

International Experts and Top Guest Speakers

This year more than 250 international experts from the fields of science, technology, research, business and economics, as well as high-ranking international politicians and representatives from environmental organizations will convence in Magdeburg.

Joining them will be Dr. Thomas Weber and Prof. Klaus Töpfer, the Executive Director of the United Nations Programme as well as other top guest speakers as for example Mr. Liqun Jin, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister of Nigeria and representatives of Mega Cities like São Paulo, New Dehli and Cairo.

Key Topics

The environmental forum will focus this year on issues in the field of sustainable road transport, such as intelligent approaches to improving urban air quality, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and the prospects of achieving sustainable mobility.

Innovations for a Better Environment

The fourth environmental forum in Magdeburg underscores how technological innovations and concepts for sustainability can go far towards helping to meet the world`s growing demand for mobility.

Discussion will focus on the global changes in mobility and their implications for the future. Besides the plenary sessions, where high level speakers will focus more on general level the global growth in mobility demand or the Global Climate Challenges, three separate forums will address the questions of how to improve the quality of the air in mega cities, how to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and what type of regulatory measures might best promote sustainable mobility. The efficient use of finite resources such as oil, gas and water will be another key issue at the forum.

The Host City - Exemplary in its Environmentally-Sound Urban Renewal

Magdeburg, the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, is a uniquely qualified venue and exemplifies the enormous potential for revitalization and renewal of an area that had been severely damaged by pollution. Since German reunification, Magdeburg has made outstanding progress in properly disposing of old toxic waste; in developing modern, environmentally compatible parameters and structures for business and industry; and in improving the quality of life of its inhabitants. The state of Saxony-Anhalt and its capital city on the River Elbe are gaining a name as a hothouse for scientific and technological innovations - many of which are already being deployed in urban renewal projects around the world.