Speaker
Description
Effective implementation of sustainability policy involves the consideration of governance, evaluation, and a review of the results of an action (Bauer et al., 2012; Jones, 2019; Uittenbroek, 2016) (Bauer et al., 2012; Jones, 2019; Uittenbroek, 2016). But over the past decade, have cities been able to respond effectively to the challenge of circular transition and climate change?
To response to the question, this presentation uses Jones’ (2019) performance management model as an analytical framework, – used as a benchmarking system developed for climate adaptation originally – to examine how the challenges of climate and circular economy transition emerge, and how they can be monitored and evaluated in urban development activities.
For investigating the performance, in both cases, stakeholder workshops were organised. In the case of Pécs, stakeholders were identified and invited via the Living Lab series of H2020 REPAiR project, while the Rijeka workshop was organised by the SSH CENTRE project. After Pécs was selected for the EU Mission of 100 European Climate Neutral & Smart Cities the city established a Climate Platform, which organized workshops for the most important industrial, academic, and non-profit actors. These occasions gave the author, who was also member of the platform, the opportunity for participatory observation. Besides, in the case of Pécs, document analyses and a representative survey helped the understanding of the transition process.
The results show that the lack of local CE actions has an overall negative impact on the CE content of the related policy documents. Despite the presence of environmental thinking in local legislation, actors are not able to transform it into circularity and stimulate these efforts on their own. Local decision-making and action on CE are also hampered by the fact that the national circular economy strategy was missing.
It can be observed that basic steps, such as systemic measurement and incorporation, were missing. Research experience showed that stakeholder involvement, and thus performance information on the functioning of the cities, were low. Although both City’s Departments for Environmental Protection are open to new initiatives, implementation is difficult due to the great workload and the lack of personal capacity.
Obersteg et al., (2019) point out, that not only the national governance level must be considered in the circular transition, but also the regional or local governance level. At the local level, in Pécs, the idea of transition has been present for several decades, but the transition process is slow. The reason for this, in addition to governance difficulties, is what Heurkens and Dąbrowski (2020) emphasize about the complexity of the process: since many stakeholders and sectors are involved in the transition, their close cooperation is necessary. A fundamental requirement for engagement, however, is that industrial and commercial enterprises establish long-term economic and investment plans, which is a prerequisite for their long-term circular management of materials and energy. However, turbulent developments in the Hungarian legal and economic environment, as well as long-term government concessions in parts of the construction and waste management sectors, are distorting the market and making it difficult for local industry and services to make long-term commitments. Green commitment is however not accompanied by overall paradigm-shifting. Circular thinking remains still around waste management, and it does not go beyond it, because resource efficiency is less emphasized. Furthermore, in communication with the public, environmental protection and climate change are at the forefront, and communication about the circular economy is missing.
Acknowledgement:
The research and presentation were supported by the H2020 REPAiR GA:688920), and the HE SSH CENTRE (GA:101069529) projects.
References
Bauer A, Feichtinger J and Steurer R (2012) The Governance of Climate Change Adaptation in 10 OECD Countries: Challenges and Approaches. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 14(3): 279–304.
Jones S (2019) City governments measuring their response to climate change. Regional Studies 53(1): 146–155.
Obersteg A, Arlati A, Acke A, et al. (2019) Urban Regions Shifting to Circular Economy: Understanding Challenges for New Ways of Governance. Urban Planning 4(3). 3: 19–31.
Uittenbroek CJ (2016) From Policy Document to Implementation: Organizational Routines as Possible Barriers to Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 18(2): 161–176.
| Keywords | circular economy, climate change, Pécs, Rijeka, performance management |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
