After a spurt of complex, unexpected and for us, unusual technical glitches, SustainableCitiesNet.com is now back up and running again! We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

We now invite you to contribute posts and comments to this site - to do this please click on the “contribute” tag above and follow the prompts. Alternatively email Ferne Edwards at fedwards @unimelb.edu.au.

The next SustainableMelbourne newsletter (which includes material on Sustainable Cities) is also due for distribution at the end of this week, Friday 28 March. If you would like to include material in this newsletter which now reaches 1000 people (!!!!) please remember to post your news by 28 March.

The SustainableCitiesNet.com website has been experiencing some technical difficulties over the last week. Due to these problems we have been unable to update content on the site. People are working on fixing these problems to get the site up and running as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

China & UK: Partners in Sustainability is the landmark business-to-business conference in 2008, organised by the China-Britain Business Council designed to bring the UK-China dialogue on sustainability to a company to company level.

As China seeks to maintain its rapid economic growth while achieving its goals of sustainability, environmental potection & social cohesion, what are the opportunities for cooperation between UK & Chinese businesses? For more information, visit: www.chinasustainability.com

Featuring keynote speeches from Rt Hon John Hutton, UK Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham and Richard Lambert, Director-General of the CBI; Peter Mandelson, EU Commissioner for External Trade; and senior Government & business representatives from China, this programme is your chance to meet Chinese organisations and seize the business opportunities arising out of China’s new sustainability agenda.

Break-out sessions will explore how UK technology, know-how and experience can help China pursue sustainable development:

• Finance & the Economy: financial services, banking, legislation
• Energy & the Environment: clean energy, environmental technology, training
• Social Development: pensions, housing, healthcare, education

And a bespoke business-matching programme will help you schedule one-to-one meetings with Chinese companies.

For more information, visit: www.chinasustainability.com

The Code of Practice defines the background, purpose and philosophy of the Sustainable Cities Network. This document (which will be regularly updated ) is now posted online at the SustainableCitiesNet.com at the bottom of the main webpage (click here).

People who are interested in becoming active participants of this Network are welcome to read and comment on this document. For further information, please contact Ferne Edwards, Sustainable Cities Research Officer and moderator of SustainableCitiesNet.com, at fedwards @unimelb.edu.au.