Strategic Partnership of INEM and IFGRA

At the Lausanne SESEC V Conference INEM Chairman Ludwig Karg and Dr. A. Jenny, IFGRA General Secretary decided to closely cooperate. The International Federation of Green Regions is a platform for sharing and implementing the best practices of sustainable development in various types of communities: states, regions, economic associations, local or-ganisations and related corporate stakeholders worldwide.

With the support of some government authorities, regional development associations and institutions both from Switzerland and other parts of the World, in 2006 the decision was made to creating IFGRA with 11 founding members around the world. IFGRA was announced and is chaired by the Mayor of Lausanne, Mr. Daniel Brélazat (see http://www.ifgra.org/) The idea of creating IFGRA took shape as a logical following of SESEC symposiums promoting “Swiss Environmental Solutions for Emerging Countries” (see program and all presentations of SESEC VI on http://www.sesec.org/) .

IFGRA provides incentives, advices and assistance to its members in the realization of projects, and supporting their development and operation to achieve high performances in sustainability. It will encourage the use of renewable resources (water, plants, energies, waste…) and any systems that reduce pollutions and preserve health and the environment. IFGRA will also help create public-private partnerships and consortiums, as most environmental issues require the involvement of the public authorities as well as industrial companies, which provide technology solutions.

Members of IFGRA can be states, government agencies, regional communities (cities, local and regional communities, irrespective of country boundaries) and other public law bodies; national and international non-governmental organisations (like INEM) as well as private corporations and other private law legal entities. As the initiator, the City of Lausanne hosts the headquarters of the Federation.

Dr. Alain Jenny and Ludwig Karg know each other from a common project ASPECT, where B.A.U.M., Granit SA (which is lead by Dr. Jenny), various chambers of commerce and Bayern Innovativ cooperate to promote Environmental Industries in the Alpine Space (see http://www.aspect-project.eu/). ASPECT partners are about to apply for more EC-funded projects and are looking forward to cooperate with other INEM and IFGRA members.