The City of Lausanne obtains the Villeverte "money" label for its services in favour of green spaces and its sustainable approach to urban green zones. The "Villeverte Suisse" label is carried by the Swiss Union of Parks and Promenades (USSP) and supported by the Federal Office for the Environment. This certification is granted following an audit ensuring the application of a wide range of measures across all areas of activity relating to green spaces.
As part of the "Villeverte Suisse" audit, the City of Lausanne obtains the "money" label. Six mandatory measures reach the gold level and seven the silver level. Among gold, concepts and strategies, communication, regulations concerning private or public projects, tree care, use of native plants and submission guidelines are welcomed. The auditors' recommendations offer potential for improvement in the ecological maintenance of sports fields.
The substantial efforts to reduce phytosanitary products and the use of natural products for the production of plants in the city's greenhouses were recognized. The complete abandonment of the products must be achieved during 2022. There is still a need for a marked change in the wine production of the Lavaux estates in order to achieve the zero-phyto objective. The biodynamic culture carried out on the estates of La Côte was welcomed.
The auditors point out that the implementation of the City's nature policy, like its nature concept in the city or its strategy for tree and forest heritage, confirms a legislative discourse and a coherent commitment. With regard to green spaces, the maintenance charter of the Parks and Estates Service sets a precise and common direction for all actions devoted to nature in the city.
Since 2016, the Villeverte label certification offers cities and municipalities that hold in high esteem the development and maintenance of their green spaces an official label of their good practices. The label and the consultation process prior to certification have an impact at all levels of public spaces. A real stop on the image, they increase their effectiveness for the well-being of the population, for biodiversity, as well as for a sustainable development of urban spaces. The label also takes into account the life cycle of the facilities.
As Natacha Litzistorf, Director of Housing, Environment and Architecture, points out, "the City of Lausanne is delighted with this distinction and will be able to make the most of the lessons learned from the procedure for obtaining the label and the expert advice formulated after the audits". This labeling is a valuation for its teams and a confirmation of its efforts in terms of nature in the city. The City thanks the Swiss Union of Parks and Promenades (USSP) for its recommendations that will allow it to guide future developments. In order to symbolically mark this labeling, the chimney of the Pierre-de-Plan factory and the place de la navigation will be illuminated in green from June 22 to 24.
Press release from the City of Lausanne – Source and details
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