Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – June 20, sustainability legend Gro Harlem Brundtland, media guru and philanthropist Ted Turner, EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, and 150 VIP guests celebrated the concrete outcome at Rio+20: The launch of Sustainia100. Philips is proud to announce that CityTouch LED street lighting has been chosen for this prestigious list of solutions.
‘Lighting with Intelligence’ is the future of sustainable city lighting. Philips’ innovative CityTouch solution allows dynamic, intelligent and flexible control of street lighting. It provides light precisely at the right time and place, and in the required amount. Light operators can dim light points throughout the city outside of peak hours, detect failures and provide smart lighting workflow support. CityTouch’s LED technology achieves up to 70% savings in energy and maintenance compared to conventional lighting. Less tangible aspects of urban life, such as social cohesion, pride and identity, are also impacted by CityTouch by dimming or illuminating specific neighborhoods.
“Over half of the global population currently lives in urban areas; a figure that is expected to rise to over 70% by 2050. It is easy to see that these rising urban populations have other demands and needs for lighting,” says Marc de Jong, CEO Philips Professional Lighting Solutions. “Our LED lighting solutions for cities that are created in public-private partnerships, generate energy savings, but also enhance the quality of life in these cities, making them safer, better connected and more desirable places to live and work.”
“Science has long provided a body of knowledge that covers the huge and vast potential of sustainable solutions,” says dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change With Sustainia. “We now have a platform that communicates this potential in a clear and comprehensive manner to a broad audience of politicians and corporations as well as civil society. Sustainia makes science easier to understand for a larger group of people, which is just what we need to meet the challenges ahead.”
Gathered from 56 countries spread over six continents, Sustainia100 is a complete guide to innovative and scalable solutions instrumental in creating sustainable societies. Building on ready and available solutions only, Sustainia100 is as a tangible tool for sustainability professionals – from politicians to CEOs- dedicated to create desirable and sustainable societies.
Individually, the solutions represent sustainable innovation in areas such as city planning, energy, fashion, water and waste management, high-tech and transportation. Collectively, they provide a guide of the building blocks available for transforming our societies.
“I am very excited and inspired by this as it makes it absolutely clear that our mission is possible. That we do have the ammunition we need to tackle this challenge. That we have what it takes to create fun and attractive societies without destroying our planet”, says Arnold Schwarzenegger, Honorary Chair of Sustainia.
Sustainia100 is a cornerstone in Sustainia. A construction site for the desirable society we could live in if we implemented ready and available solutions. Developed by world-leading companies, organizations and experts in close collaboration with UN Global Compact and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s initiative Regions20, Sustainia is the first holistic introduction to the attractive sustainable future.
Sustainia100 solutions are nominees for the Sustainia Award, which honors outstanding performance within sustainability. The winner will be announced at a ceremony later this year in Copenhagen.
