Background

Following up on Cities Programme meetings in 2010 to strengthen work in Global Compact signatory city, Ortiguera and to explore potential in Curitiba, Elizabeth met with staff from state energy provider, Copel. There she found strong interest to support a state wide sustainability alliance under the umbrella of the Cites Programme (which would be an alliance of numerous signatory cities dedicated to achieving sustainability; also marking a significant growth in the Cities Programme). She then met with Sr. Cezar Silvestri, Secretario de Disenvolvmento Urban who championed the concept and organized a meeting with the State’s Governor, Beto Richa. The Governor supported the Secretary taking the concept forwards and advised Sr Silvestri to seek support from the other State Secretaries. This meeting and concept was given an extensive amount of media coverage.

The concept of the state-wide sustainability alliance has a strong support from industry leaders such as Alvaro Cabrini, Presidente, CREA-PR (Industry Association of Engineers, Architects and Agriculturists) and Rodrigo de Rocha Loures, Presidente de Sistema FIEP (Association of Industries of the State of Parana). Both organization are also UN Global Compact signatories.