Green Growth in the Benelux Indicators of local transition to a low-carbon economy in cross-border regions Dr Cristina Martinez-Fernandez CFE/LEED Dr Samantha Sharpe University Technology Sydney

For  more  informa+on,  see  www.oecd.org/greengrowth  

Towards green growth - Monitoring progress OECD Measurement framework

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For  more  informa+on,  see  www.oecd.org/greengrowth  

Towards green growth – why monitoring progress at local level?

•  Impacts of climate change will be variable at a local level;

•  Impacts of policies to mitigate climate change will be distributed differently across regions and localities:

v  pricing carbon, v  switching to less carbon intensive energy supply and

production, v  appropriating the opportunities presented by a transition to a

low carbon economy (including the creation of both new employment and industries).

•  Impacts will be especially evident in local labour markets.

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Total carbon equivalent emissions in the Benelux 1990-2010

Benelux transition to a LCE

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0  

50  

100  

150  

200  

250  

Belgium   Netherlands   Luxembourg  

Million  tonn

es  CO2-­‐e  

1990  

2008  

2009  

2010  

Source: European Environment Agency, 2012.

0  

5  

10  

15  

20  

25  

30  

35  

40  

Belgium   Netherlands   Luxembourg  

Tonn

es  CO2-­‐e  pe

r  cap

ita  

1990  

2008  

2009  

2010  

Per capita carbon emissions in the Benelux 1990-2010

For  more  informa+on,  see  www.oecd.org/greengrowth  

Policy Challenges & Recommendations

Providing consensus on cross-border indicators; what is measured, why and how often, and how they are communicated. Recommendation 1 – Establish a method by which cross-border stakeholders can identify the main variables associated with transition and how these will be measured, and build indicator development and measurement verification into large public investment activities. Defining suitable methodologies and metrics to assess green growth Recommendation 2 - Ensure data collection provides flexibility to isolate local sources of emissions. Identifying and resourcing local institutions to collect and report on indicators Recommendation 3 - Identify and resource appropriate institution/s to collect and report this data in a consistent format, which provides comparative analysis on headline indicators at the local, national and international level.

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For  more  informa+on,  see  www.oecd.org/greengrowth  

Policy Challenges & Recommendations (cont)

Maximising the transition impact of large projects and infrastructure development Recommendation 4 - Financially and logistically support data collection projects that are devised and implemented by local stakeholders as a way to cement the operation of cross-border governance. Recommendation 5 - Develop processes that seek out and engage a full range of local stakeholders, and which equip them to participate in the discussions and projects. Not all stakeholders are equally able to participate in these activities; recognising and providing resources for these participatory processes increases the likelihood of ownership of the projects and outcomes. Recommendation 6 – Develop and encourage cross-border groupings of public and elected officials to provide input into large transition projects and thus strengthen the capacity of the Benelux Union.

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For  more  informa+on,  see  www.oecd.org/greengrowth  

Policy Challenges & Recommendations (cont)

Fostering knowledge creation and diffusion in the green economy Recommendation 7 - Strengthen innovation capacity in the Benelux Union through international co-operation in order to re-position new industrial ecologies and clusters while addressing the challenges of green growth transition. Recommendation 8 - Align qualification systems, accreditation and content across borders. Green education and green entrepreneurship can provide a focus for skills recognition and skills activities by the educational institutions in the Benelux. This focus can be developed by provision of specific courses in TVET organisations and by offering Masters and Certificate level courses in Universities and other educational institutions. Local entrepreneurs, young and old, male and female should be encouraged to set-up businesses through active and innovative financial mechanisms.

Supporting green industries and emerging markets Recommendation 9 - Public procurement should be used to support and encourage new ‘green’ markets and should be encouraged by all levels of government and the Benelux Union.

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Policy Index for Benelux

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0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

Policies for local government (e.g. expenditure, policy documents,

support for renewable energy, carbon neutrality etc)

Policies for universities (e.g. expenditure for green purchasing,

energy efficiency measures, research on green issues, waste recycling

policy etc)

Local initiatives for job creation

Support schemes for associations

Support schemes for social activities The organization in which I work

(waste management, energy efficiency, green procurement etc)

Municipal strategies

Children focused local activities

Elderly focused local activities

Ghent

Belval

Skills Ecosystem for Benelux

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0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

Training and skills upgrading provision by

universities and colleges

Industry-science cooperation (projects

and students)

Inter-firm collaboration in clean tech cluster

projects

Vocational education and training projects

Support schemes/ incentives for cluster-

university collaboration projects

Industry-cluster activities and fundraising

Knowledge Intensive Service Activities

(knowledge development activities through

Trade Union training schemes

Company investment in training and skills

Ghent

Belval

Benelux Green Dashboards

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!

!

Figure  1:  Ghent-­‐  Terneuzen  Green  Dashboard  

Environmental  and  Resource  ProducCvity  

Economic  OpportuniCes  

!

!

Figure  2:  AlzeFe-­‐Belval  Green  Dashboard  

Environmental  and  Resource  ProducCvity  

Economic  OpportuniCes  

!

!

•  To download the full report, please visit the project web page at:

http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/lowcarbon.htm •  Clear space: https://community.oecd.org/community/lowcarboneconomy

•  OECD dedicated site to greening jobs and skills www.oecd.org/greengrowth/skills

Project Resources

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