The European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign has arisen from Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 and the European Commission`s fifth action programme on the environment. The objective of the Campaign is to promote development towards sustainability through local Agenda 21 processes by strengthening partnership among all actors in the local community as well as cooperation between local authorities.

The Aalborg Charter, which was adopted at the first European Conference on sustainable Cities and Towns in Aalborg, Denmark, in 1994, initiated the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign and proposed a number of stages in preparing a local action plan. More than 200 local authorities have signed the Charter, joining the Campaign, and committing themselves to producing a local action plan for sustainable development.

Major European networks of local authorities are coordinating the Campaign: the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Eurocities (the European Association of Metropolitan Cities), the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives, the United Towns Organization and the WHO Healthy Cities Project. The campaign receives financial assistance from the European Commission and has an office in Brussels.

The campaign has initiated a number of activities through collaborating networks to support these cities and to encourage other cities. These activities include the development and publication of guidance on local planning, training courses, seminars, databases on good practices and networking.

The second phase of the campaign (1996- 1998) focused on how to implement the principals laid down in the Aalborg Charter and how to start and conduct a local Agenda 21 process and plan the implementation of local sustainability plans.