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This colloquium with its global theme; Potsdam - formerly in the
GDR - with its extraordinary architecture and beautiful spaces; and
this prize with its reference to the quality of life and a particular
place and sense of identity, for me bring together three worlds:
the world within a world of Europe, the
world of the printed media and the
world of design. [.] We are approaching
an interesting point: five years hence, for
the first time in the history of the human race there will be more
people living in cities - in urbanised communities - than on the land.
[.] This story has (.) two chapters: the first relates to the performance
of the building itself; the second to the fact that the Reichstag forms
a fundamental part of the governmental infrastructure of Berlin. So,
the Reichstag's energy manifesto seeks not only to demonstrate that
a major public building can be energy self-sufficient and virtually
pollution free, but also that it can make a positive contribution,
generating more energy than it needs, thus working as a small power
station for the city quarter of which it is a part.
Originally, the Reichstag emitted something like 4,000 tonnes of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. Through its transformation
[.] it became an exercise in how to use renewable energy
sources. It showed that you could burn 'biodiesel'- refined vegetable
oil - instead of fossil fuels - oil, coal or gas - and that a building on
this scale could be clean and environmentally friendly.The Reichstag
today produces only 440 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions - a
staggering 94 per cent reduction.
[.] It follows that in order to understand how we live in cities you
have to understand their infrastructure. (.) the transport systems
and public spaces or the parks, the landscape, and the bridges (.).
Together they are (.) a kind of fortification, protecting and nurturing
the quality of daily life. Equally, it follows that poorly maintained or
ill-conceived infrastructure can reduce the quality of life or lead to
serious environmental problems, even catastrophe. Look at the
events in New Orleans this week. [.] The Boston Globe carried an
article whose headline asked 'Hurricane Katrina's real name?'and then
went on to give the answer: 'hurricane global warming'. The Herald
Tribune and Time magazine both focused on the infrastructure that
triggered the depth of the catastrophe, which was the breaching of
the levees, (.) that have been developed over a period of three centuries
and which were latterly taken for granted (.), not invested in.
[.] Let me return to the question of urban sprawl and our reliance
on the motor car. It is significant that America as a non-signatory to
the Kyoto Protocol has been described in this colloquium as a 'gasguzzler'.
That is not simply a throw away remark - it is based on fact.
[.] Now, what happens if you transfer that pattern of profligacy to
an emerging superpower with developing nation status and certain
exemptions from the Kyoto Protocol? Look at China, the biggest
global growth market for cars.
[.] If every family in China had two
cars, that would add up to 600 million vehicles - more than all the
cars in the world put together at present. That is not beyond the
realms of possibility. [.] It has taken China only 80 years to reach a
level of industrialisation that Europe took 330 years to achieve. That
is matched by more than four times the rate of urbanisation and
growth, which brings me back to my starting point. As it witnesses
this explosive phenomenon, can we in Europe be influential beyond
signing up to the Kyoto Protocol and similar political initiatives? [.]
Collectively, Europe has learned valuable lessons from its policies
related to urban planning - both successes and failures - and this
body of knowledge is there to be shared. [.]
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honour to receive this award.
It recognises the importance of design and quality of life in the
environment. It is a cause for great celebration for the tremendous
number of people involved in this field. So I would like to accept it on
behalf of many clients, especially those in the 25 European countries
that we are active in, as well as the many collaborators and esteemed
colleagues who share it with me. Thank you very much.
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