1. Sustainable Cities Research Institute Northumbria University
The sustainability challenge for local government – the European experience
Bob Evans
Sustainable Cities Research Institute
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

2. Three themes…….. The nature of the sustainability challenge
Governing for local sustainable development
Institutional capacity for sustainable development
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

3. Two questions……………. Why do we need to take sustainability seriously?
How can sustainability be embedded into local
government decision-making?
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

4. Sustainable Development is not a thing – it’s a way of doing things
It’s asking the question – can we continue to do this indefinitely?
It’s asking the question – what if?
It’s about taking our global responsibilities seriously
But it’s also about developing our resilience to cope with change
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

5. Why do we need to take sustainability seriously?
Because we are altruistic and responsible
We care about global warming, our environmental
footprint, ‘unseen others’ and as yet unborn
generations
Because we are self-interested
We need to protect ourselves and our children
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

6. Western European societies…..
are major consumers of energy and natural
resources
will inevitably have to reduce their consumption
due to price increases, reductions in supply and
changes in the global distribution of power
World oil and gas supplies are headed for a ‘production crunch’ sometime between 2010 and 2020 when they cannot meet supply – University of Uppsala James McKenzie of the World Resources Institute “We won’t run out of oil – but what will happen is that production will decline, and that’s when all hell will break loose”
An iceberg more than four times the size of Greater London has decimated marine wildlife off the coast of Antarctica by blocking sunlight to a huge expanse of ocean (NASA). – killing phytoplankton
Once abundant eels on the brink of extinction – European population just 15 of 1980s number

7. London’s ecological footprint…
Equals 49 million global hectares (gha), which is
293 times its geographical area (about twice the
size of the UK)
This represents 6.63 global hectares per London
resident. (If everyone on the planet had an equal
share of the earth’s bioproductive resources,
we would each have 2.18 gha.)
If this level of consumption were to be extended
world-wide, we would require at least three planets

8. Environmental Space……
Percentage reductions in consumption required in Europe to secure sustainable resource use
Energy use 50%
Fossil fuels 75%
CO2 emissions 77%
Agricultural land 57%
Wood 55%
Aluminium 90%
Cement 85%
Chlorine 100%

9. A quick look into the future…….
The problem of exponential growth
Energy security and resource use
Shifts in global prosperity and power
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

10. Imagine a pond, with a lily in the middle……
…...which doubles its size each year…….
………..and will take 30 years to fill the pond.
After 10 years, it’s hardly grown…….
And in year 20, it’s not much larger…..
But, by the 29th year, it covers half the pond…
And in the final year it covers the remaining half
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

11. 2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

12. 2018/11/19
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13. Shifts in global prosperity and power…
Currently there are about 1.5 billion people in the
global economy
65% of the human population has never made a
telephone call. 1/3rd has no access to electricity
All indications are that this will change significantly
as a consequence of developments in China, India
and the Pacific rim
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

14. China is on track to quadruple its economy by 2020
If China is to drive cars at the same density as Germany, this will mean 650 million new vehicles
Beijing aims to encourage every citizen to eat 200 eggs per year. This = 260 billion eggs = 1.3 billion chickens = a grain crop equal to Australia's annual production
India is predicted to replace China as the world’s most populous country by 2050
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

15. Local government has a key role to play in delivering sustainable development but…..
Local government cannot achieve this alone
The engagement of individuals and local
organisations will be essential
Local sustainable development is most likely to
be achieved when local governments and local
communities work together
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

16. The traditional/normative model: the government –
Government or Governance?
The traditional/normative model: the government –
governance continuum
Top down
Government
‘Bad’
Bottom up
Governance
‘Good’
2018/11/19

17. Governing Government Governance
The DISCUS Model
Governing
Government
Governance
From ‘Governing Sustainable Cities’ by Evans, Joas,
Sundbach & Theobald, Earthscan Press, 2004
2018/11/19

18. So governance is……. part of the process of governing and it is
the sphere of public debate, partnership,
interaction, dialogue and conflict entered into
by local citizens and organisations and by local
government
2018/11/19

19. Local government is the key to local governance
Effective urban governance is nurtured by local
government
The governance process can build institutional
capital
The governance process can build social capital
2018/11/19

20. One key task is to develop the institutional capacity of local government……….
Institutional capacity may be defined as:
the organisational, knowledge and leadership
resources of local governments, the possession of
which may be a motor for change
If sustainable development is regarded as a way of
doing things rather than an end in itself, the long
term aim must be to embed the principles of
sustainability into the day to day actions of local
government and other public sector organisations
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

21. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY…..
Administrative Capacity – delivering policy and functions
Governance Capacity – managing relationships outside
Political Capacity - leadership
Intellectual Capacity – knowledge, skills, information
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

22. If local government is to deliver the sustainability agenda………..
there is an urgent need to consider how best to
develop institutional capacity at the local level and
to invest in this process
more advice and support to local government will
be needed
it will necessary to reappraise and reframe the
central-local government relationship to permit
greater levels of local autonomy, initiative and
creativity
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute

23. Sustainable Cities Research Institute Northumbria University,
Professor Bob Evans
Sustainable Cities Research Institute
Northumbria University,
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
2018/11/19
©Sustainable Cities Research Institute