Organisation

The European Land and Soil Alliance (ELSA) e.V. operates on the basis of the Bolzano-Manifesto of October 2000 and the association's statute, thereby regarding itself as a network of European local authorities which jointly pursue the aims of sustainable urban development - in particular the promotion of a sustainable utilisation of soils - in the sense of Agenda 21. It is also important to understand that most activities concerning the protection and the sustainable use of soil and land are part of local authorities policies and responsibilities. Interested institutions, organizations, and individuals can also join the alliance.

The genesis of European Land and Soil Alliance (ELSA) e.V.

ELSA emerged from the ranks of the climate alliance - Alianza del Clima e.V. in 2000. The concept of creating an alliance for the protection and sustainable use of soil along the same lines as the climate alliance was born during the annual conference 2000 in Bolzano (I). The idea of setting up an alliance of local authorities and NGOs for soil recommended itself because soil problems tend to be of a local nature, and must therefore be solved at this level. Local authorities are not only confronted directly with such problems, but they must also wield the apposite legal instruments to enforce solutions and/or to develop and apply appropriate preventative strategies. Furthermore, local authorities, as the basic units of public administration, are particularly well-suited to address their local populations and to communicate the aims of Agenda 21. The goals of sustainable urban development can only be achieved by sharply increasing awareness of the issues amongst the general public, thus cities, boroughs and municipalities should be regarded as the main standard bearers for the cause.