Key capacity building and knowledge sharing needs: RECs experience Kenty Richardson Director for International Relations & Strategic Development Incheon SDTF, 10 April 2014

Outline of the presentation REC presentation and role in capacity building, and governance for SD, preliminary thoughts Capacity building and knowledge sharing needs Implement effective and efficient multi-stakeholder bodies Collaborate more directly across levels of government for planning and scaling up implementation Scale up implementation through the design and implementation of cross-cutting policies and programmes Prepare monitoring, reporting and accountability Final thoughts

Regional Environmental Center (REC) An international organisation with a mission to assist different interest groups in addressing environmental issues and promote sustainable development in CEE and beyond Legally based on a charter signed by 31 countries and the European Commission Offices in 17 countries, approx. 160 staff members 100% project-financed organisation over 200 running projects annual turnover MEUR Operations in: EU Member States in CEE EU enlargement countries, candidate and potential candidate countries Eastern Partnership Countries EU27 beyond the REC Country Office network

Potential REC services – REC competencies Coordination and management of complex environmental related projects (including international secretariats) Neutral platform Mission driven approach Transparent, flexible implementation Specific support in the drafting of national strategies and programmes for the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy Research National and regional coordination Civil society support grants capacity building Policy briefs; good practices; integrated policy guideline documents Stakeholder involvement cross-sectoral governmental bodies and agencies, e.g. ministries like environment, energy, housing, transport, agriculture, health, water, climate change, forestry innovation & employment the business sector, the finance community civil society academia media Capacity building organisation of complex and comprehensive seminars and workshops at the national and regional level

Capacity building and knowledge sharing needs in mainstreaming SD into planning Philosophy of the REC: series of practical steps that make difference Not a substitute to SD councils that are top down but work on deliverables bottom up. How we can better articulate this top down with bottom up approaches? Inter-institutional cooperation very important; vital role of competent experts Achieving sectoral integration in practice, vertical and horizontal Participation and contribution of the environmental stakeholders in all bodies at all levels Capacity building of environmental stakeholders at all levels to be supported – central and local governments, NGOs, businesses, media, academia Examples of REC activities

Implement effective and efficient multi-stakeholder bodies Key examples Rivers in focus Danube NGO Participation in the Danube River Basin Management Plans Building Environmental Citizenship to Support Transboundary Pollution Reduction /Pilot Project in Hungary and Slovenia Danube National & Regional Grants Enhancing Access to Information and Public participation in Environmental Decision Making, Danube Regional Project Tisza Tisza River Basin Integrated Sustainable Dev. Programme - Planning and Initiation Phase Tisza follow up grants - NGO workshop: response in crisis situation Sava / Drina Support to the International Sava Basin Commission Initiative Enhancing cross border cooperation in the Drina River Basin

Implement effective and efficient multi- stakeholder bodies: lessons learned REC as neutral platform secretariat of national round tables in nuclear energy and nuclear waste management (voluntary basis with difficulties) Now emerging community of practise around on public participation (PP) in nuclear energy policy and nuclear waste management at EU level promoting PP as a component of transparency and safety

Collaborate more directly across levels of government for planning and scaling up implementation SECTOR, SENSE and SENIOR programes supporting CSOs to become active and powerful actors in the local and national SD context. GREEN PACK introducing SD in the curricula as a tool for the overall educational reform

Key example: STREAM Strengthening Local Environmental Planning and Environmental Civil Society in Belarus and Moldova during Financial support from SIDA, with budget of 5.3 MEUR; 2014 final year of implementation 2. Two clusters under implementation: Supporting Sustainability and Environmental Action Planning in Communities in Belarus and Moldova (LEAP) Supporting Environmental Civil Society Organisations in Belarus and Moldova (SECTOR)

Key example: Green Pack 2001 with the support of Toyota Motor Corporation, the REC developed a comprehensive environmental education programme in Central and Eastern Europe (Green Pack) The REC and respective local partners developed a comprehensive environmental education programme special for each country. A multi-media environmental education curriculum kit Primarily intended for secondary school teachers and their students Focus on particular aspects of environmental protection and sustainable development teachers students In 18 countries…. 20 languages Current Project – RBF support for Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia

Scale up implementation through the design and implementation of cross-cutting policies and programmes Environment and security: nexus water, food and energy security Resilience and climate adaptation Climate change mitigation Health and environment Transport and environment

A unique combination of skills, experiences and networks

Stage 1: Regional assessments Stage 2: National and regional consultations Stage 3: Regional work programmes Stage 4: Project implementation and lessons learned ENVSEC process Confidence building and action

Key examples: The Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production in the Western Balkans The publication summarise the knowledge, experience and results acquired in the course of research into the impacts of climate change on crop yields in five countries. The reports from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia provide examples of efforts to identify risks related to climate change and the main effects on the production of important crops. The publication highlight the gaps and barriers that central and local governments need to address. It provides recommendations for decision makers as to the most urgent actions needed to pave the way to incorporating climate change aspects into agricultural development plans and shaping appropriate strategies and policies.

Key example: SINPHONIE School Indoor Pollution and Health Observatory Network in Europe ( 1. A complex research project covering the areas of health, environment, transport, climate change 2. It aims at improving air quality in schools and kindergartens 3. The project is implemented under service contract of DG Sanco environment & health institutions from 25 countries

Key examples: CRESSIDA Building Local Community Resilience for Sustainable Development in International Watersheds, such as the Drini/Drina river local governments of those countries that share the watersheds-namely, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia main goal is to create a flexible and easily replicable 'living laboratory' for pilot sustainability tools and practices capacity-building activities will combine theoretical and hands-on approaches, and also encourage participants engage actively in decision-making processes Starting in 2014

Prepare monitoring, reporting and accountability processes and institutions for a set of global sustainable development goals that can be translated into national, sub-national and local contexts ?

Final thoughts Many more cross-cutting policies than before Combine top down and bottom up and learn and connect with grassroots living labs experiences including a clearing house of lessons learned Step by step approach to move fast on low hanging fruits and upscale them SD public policies should integrate all available tools from legislation, budget, spatial planning and public awareness raising SD transition should mainly focus on connecting people using the famous ad of this Finnish company and include much more new information technologies and more social media

Thank you for your attention & Welcome to the REC!