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IWA – Sustainable Business Districts : the count-down is on to January, 28 & 29. 2010

The inaugural "Kick Off" meeting of the ISO International Workshop on Sustainable Business Districts will take place on January, 28 & 29. 2010 in Paris La Défense.

Endorsed by ISO in September (Resolution 125/2009), the Workshop will handle the following business-districts related issues :

• Sustainable construction during the whole life cycle ,
• City planning and quality of living and working environment ,
• Energy, waste and water management ;
• Transport, accessibility and safety.

Objective: To compile best practices, to draft general principles and to elaborate a framework for performance appraisal in sustainable development at the district level. Moreover, the IWA will spell out the characteristics of business districts, that distinguish them from other urban areas, thus allowing them to become players on their own on the international stage.

Companies in relevant fields, e.g. banking, construction, energy, engineering, insurance, transport, water and waste management, security, etc., municipalities and local governments, city planners, research centres and universities from all over the world are most welcome to participate in the Workshop.

The Workshop will gather present members of Sustainable Network - Rethinking Business Districts (a non for profit association): Central Business Districts of Beijing, Capetown, Liverpool, Montreal, Moscow and Paris-La Défense as well as companies : Bouygues, Dalkia, GDF Suez, Hermitage, Oger International and Unibail Rodamco, along with those who express the wish to join.

Initiated by private stakeholders, Sustainable Network - Rethinking business districts – in the present case, Workshops follow a lighter and faster procedure. Hence, an IWA is elaborated in about 18 months, instead of 36 months in a regular standardization procedure.

If you wish to participate in the ISO International Workshop on Sustainable Business Districts, please contact : Bernard Leservoisier – AFNOR Normalisation – +33 1 41 62 82 72 – bernard.leservoisier@afnor.org