Twenty Cities Recognized for Building Strong, Principled Foundations for Future

NEW YORK (September 8, 2008) – The Ethisphere Institute, a think-tank dedicated to the research and promotion of profitable best practices in governance, business ethics, compliance and corporate social responsibility released the 2020 Global Sustainability Centers, which comprises of ten large cities (600,000+ citizens) and ten mid-sized cities (60,000-600,000 citizens) lauded for long-term city planning and building strong and principled foundations.  This list will be featured in the Q3 issue of Ethisphere Magazine, the quarterly magazine of the institute. 

Cities from nearly every continent are named on the list, including likely North American metropolises and some unexpected global cities from developing regions.  For example, New York is recognized for studying how entire countries operate when creating its sustainable development program, while Reykjavik is the world’s leader in renewable energy, and Hyderabad is addressing resource degradation and poverty, while encouraging local innovation. 

“In a world of increasing population pressures and depleting natural resources, some cities are proactively adjusting their practices today as well as implementing sustainable long-term practices,” said Alex Brigham, executive director of The Ethisphere Institute.   “We are recognizing these ‘cities of tomorrow’ today.”  

Cities were considered for their environmental and sustainability practices; health and recreation; education, arts and culture; economic and business environment; regulatory framework; law enforcement and transparency; media and speech; transportation and housing; and innovation and investment.   

“As future global centers, their planning will positively impact the quality of life of successive generations and provide a model for other cities to emulate,” said Stefan Linssen, managing editor of Ethisphere Magazine. 

To see which cities made the list, and to learn what makes these cities global sustainability role models, visit http://ethisphere.com/2020-global-sustainability-centers/.