Suchergebnisse

One of the main challenges regions face in sustainable development is changing their production and consumption patterns. This paper focuses on the role of regional government in sustainable production and consumption polices, one of the specific topics in the framework of the European Regional Sustainable Development Network activities. Issues of sustainable production and consumption are very broad. This paper focuses on policies and instruments directed towards sustainable production and consumption in regions. The paper elaborates current theory and practice in the area of sustainable production and consumption policies to answer the main question of what are the key challenges and opportunities for regional government. The paper starts with a short overview of current (policy) thinking in the field of regional sustainable production and consumption. We then identify the theoretical and practical issues for both regional policy development and regional stakeholder involvement in the field of regional sustainable production and consumption. Finally, we explore examples of good practice in the development of regional public policy related to sustainable production and consumption patterns and identify some key messages for both the EU and the regions.

The Lisbon strategy has prioritized socio-economic issues in the European development. Through the Lisbon strategy together with the Gothenburg strategy Europe is striving for a balance between the social, economic and ecological dimension of sustainable development. In research the social dimension did only get limited attention because it is difficult to conceptualize. Politicians have difficulties with the social dimension of sustainable development because they think it relates sustainable development with everything. Here we use a capitals approach to sustainable development were regional development is more sustainable as it maintains or increases the total stock of natural, economic, social and human capital in a region. We define human capital as the knowledge, skills, competencies, and attributes, embodied in individuals, that facilitate the creation of personal, social and economic well-being. We will argue that the stock of human capital and changes in this stock (brain drain and brain drain) are central for the goals of the Lisbon strategy on knowledge economy, employment, sustainability and social cohesion. We illustrate the unbalance between different capitals in one region and compare the level of human capital between regions. Sustainable development is the balancing of the various types of capital so that they do not hold back each other. We will suggest in this paper that an investment in human capital compared with investments in other forms of capital, gives us the most economic return if we are able to find the right measures. The paper gives illustration of measures to stop brain drain and foster brain gain through regional planning in (peripheral) European regions. The examples are taken from an INTERREG IIIb project

"Think global, act local" is a phrase much related to green governance. Since the Earth Summit in Rio de Jañeiro and its 'Local Agenda 21' in 1992 it is accepted that local authorities have a key role in implementing sustainable development. During the early 1990's Local Agenda 21 diffused to many countries, including the Netherlands. As a consequence local sustainability reached the national policy agenda, and intergovernmental subsidy schemes and supporting policy instruments were implemented to support local authorities in adopting local sustainability policies and creating 'local capacity'. One of the measures implemented concerned a tool, the so‐called 'Local Sustainability Meter', which was designed to both monitor progress and serve as an incentive in terms of 'naming and blaming'. The data that has been collected since 1999 enables us to conduct a longitudinal analysis on local sustainability progress and dynamics. For instance, insights may be derived on the magnitude and intensity of policy measures that are adopted, and variation therein between local authorities. In this paper we investigate which factors influence local authorities to become pioneers in sustainability governance. We use insights from Diffusion-of-Innovations theory, Public Management and Policy Network theory to categorize local authorities on sustainability performance, and define what pioneering means in this regard. Next, we investigate developments in the Netherlands, what pioneering means in practice, by which factors it is influenced, and the ways in which pioneers distinguish themselves from their 'mainstream' peers. The paper offers theoretical elaboration, it presents a historical case study of the Netherlands, as well as results from an explorative statistical analysis. Therewith, the paper contributes to systematic conceptualization of 'pioneering in environmental policy', and adds a local- and multi-level governance component to it.

Public participation and its relationship to the strategies and implementation of environmental policy are examined in this volume, from a functional perspective. Interdisciplinary cases are explored from around the globe to illustrate the principles discussed.

Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: "What are Energy Communities Under the EU's Clean Energy Package?" -- Chapter 3: Community energy on the east side of the Baltic Sea Region: from standstill to first steps -- Chapter 4: Clean energy transition in Southeast Europe: The paradigm of Greece from a fossil fuel mediator to a community energy hub -- Chapter 5: The community energy sector in Italy; historical perspective and recent evolution -- Chapter 6: Community Energy in Germany: From Technology Pioneers to Professionalisation under Uncertainty -- Chapter 7: Support structures for renewable energy communities -- Chapter 8: Energy Communities promoting Home Energy Savings: Interventions, Theory and Results -- Chapter 9: Creating an enabling policy framework for inclusive energy communities: a gender perspective -- Chapter 10: Housing communities as low-carbon energy pioneers Experiences from the Netherlands -- Chapter 11: Conclusion. .

Renewable energy communities (RECs) might be an interesting new stakeholder in stimulating home energy-saving efforts by tenants and homeowners due to their potential of raising awareness locally and gaining public support for low-carbon energy and energy-savings projects, because RECs are often locally sited, in close social proximity of residents, and are already part of local structures and share local institutions. This comes with many benefits since they already have a reputation locally, a social history with the local community, and can be trusted by the latter. This makes them potentially better suited than other - often less-trusted - parties (i.e., government and business companies) to use their agency to encourage sustainable change. The article builds on empirical data from the EU Horizon 2020 project REScoop Plus, using a mixed-methods research approach, including desk research, expert interviews, validation workshops, and multiple surveys among RECs in six EU member states about energy-saving actions implemented, and their effectiveness in terms of raising awareness, influencing the intention to save energy, and actual energy-saving behaviour. This article provides more insight into the assessment of actions and measures for coaching householders to achieve energy savings and low carbon goals. In addition, it shows the potential of using RECs as a new strategy to address home energy savings in the current housing stock, including options to improve the energy performance thereof.

Résumé De nombreuses discussions concernant la Gestion des Ressources Humaines sont focalisées sur la relation entre l'individu et l'organisation. Il est facile de dire que cette relation devrait être réciproque et que, dans cette relation réciproque, l'individu et l'organisation devraient, tous deux, apprendre et se développer. Dans la pratique il est devenu évident, cependant, que ceci est facile à dire mais difficile à faire. Dans cet article nous essayons de contribuer à cette discussion, nous basant sur un modèle pour la mise en œuvre de changements au sein d'une organisation. Dans la première partie de l'article nous traiterons de la base théorique du modèle, c'est-à-dire une approche individuelle orientée vers la demande. Nous examinerons également le contexte pratique dans lequel le modèle a été mis au point. Dans la deuxième partie, nous présenterons le modèle, dans lequel le développement individuel, le développement organisationnel et l'apprentissage forment un processus intégré.