How to integrate sustainable development into governance; the Zurich approach

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How to integrate sustainable development into
governance the Zurich approach

• Swiss specialties
• The Canton of Zurich
• The Zurich approach to sustainable development
• Support sustainable development what cantons can
  do
• Sustainability report
• Integration of sustainable development into
  political guidelines

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• Alpine country in the heart of Western Europe
• Population of 7.36 million (around 20
  foreigners)
• Jura (10)Plateau (30)Alps (60) 48 summits
  higher than 4,000 metres
• High density of population, with many regional
  differences

Confoederatio Helvetica (CH)
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Geographic distribution of the national languages
(2002)

• Multicultural, crossroads of European cultures
• 4 national languagesGerman, French, Italian and
  Rumantsch
• Influence on traditions, festivals and local
  customs

4 cultures, 4 languages
German 63.7
French 20.4
Italian 6.5
Rumantsch 0.5
Non-national languages 8.9
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Federalism

• Political structure on three levels
• Federal state
• 26 cantons
• 2,900 communes
• Decentralised
• Solidarity among cantons

Cantonal boundaries
Communal boundaries
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Political structure

• Direct democracy including popular rights
  (initiative and referendum)
• Average of four popular votes per year
• Part-time parliament two-chamber system with
  chambers representing people and cantons
• Government7 members, 4 parties

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How to integrate sustainable development into
governance the Zurich approach

• Swiss specialties
• The Canton of Zurich
• The Zurich approach to sustainable development
• Support sustainable development what cantons can
  do
• Sustainability report
• Integration of sustainable development into
  political guidelines

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Canton of Zurich in relation to Switzerland

• Area 1,700 km2 -gt 42000 km2 (4)
• Population 1.25 million -gt 7.3 million (17)
• Jobs 0.75 million -gt 3.6 million (20)

Basel
Zurich
Bern
Geneva
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Zurich offers an Outstanding Quality of Life

• Zurich ranked 1st for the sixth consecutive
  year

City (New York 100)
Index for overall quality of life
Rank
Zurich
108.1
1
Amsterdam
105.7
13
Oslo
103.5
26
London
101.2
39
Barcelona
100.6
41
Madrid
100.5
42
The study is based on the assessments and
evaluations of 39 key quality of life
determinants, like economics, schools
education, medical health, politics and culture.
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Ease of attracting the right kind of people

• Randy Knaflic, Lead Recruiter for Engineering,
  Google

Its much easier to attract people here from all
over Europe than to anywhere else. As you can
see in companies like IBM, Microsoft and Google,
they all are doing important research and
development here in Zurich. We all see a good
reason in being in Zurich we can attract the
right kind of people.
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What makes Zurich efficient

• excellent schools
• well educated population
• highly motivated workforce of 750000
• multi-cultural tradition
• excellent infrastructure

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Commutes seldom exceed 30 min. door-to-door
City of Zurich Airport Distance 10 km ? ? 15
min. ? ? 10 min.
Winterthur
City of Zurich Winterthur Distance 25 km ? ?
15 min. ? ? 20 min.
Airport
60 km
City
City of Zurich Meilen Distance 12 km ? ? 20
min. ? ? 14 min.
Meilen
45 km
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Attractive Corporate Income Tax

• In of Corporate Income

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Charming Zurich

• land of lakes and rivers, mountains and hills

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What makes Zurich lovely

• excellent gastronomy
• top sports facilities

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How to integrate sustainable development into
governance the Zurich approach

• Swiss specialties
• The Canton of Zurich
• The Zurich approach to sustainable development
• Support sustainable development what cantons can
  do
• Sustainability report
• Integration of sustainable development into
  political guidelines

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KV Art. 6 Sustainability (2005)

• Canton and municipalities care for the
  preservation of the basis of life. To take
  responsibility for future generations, they are
  obliged to an ecologically, economically and
  socially sustainable development.

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Possible activities for Cantons

• Sustainable Development Strategy
• Monitoring of sustainable development
• assessment of sustainability of important
  projects
• Support municipalities (LA 21)
• Marketing the vision of sustainable development
• Initiate special projects which have a lasting
  effect towards sustainable development

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Sustainable Development Strategy Swiss Federal
Council (1997/2002/2007)
Strategy March 2002
Review January 2007
http//www.are.admin.ch
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Sustainablilty report

• Present the development of the whole canton with
  a focus on sustainable development

• Normally indicator-based reports

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Objectives of the sustainability
reportrecognising the ongoing development

• Sustainable development is a basic principle of
  the canton of Zurich. SD must be integrated into
  all policy areas and grow to be increasingly
  important
• Sustainable development is to be conceived as a
  social process of searching, learning and
  structuring
• Create overwiew of status for important political
  decision-makers (e.g. cantonal council)
• Basis for the decision-making prozess to work out
  the objectives of the legislature or the
  sustainable development strategy

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Subject areas
environment
economy
society
Biodiversity Nature and landscape Energy
quality Energy consumtion Climate Use of
resources Water balance Water quality Soil
consumtion Soil quality Air qualitiy
Income Living costs Employment market Investments
Efficient utilisation of resources
Innovation Economic structure Know-how Public
funds Taxes
Noise Mobility Health Security Distribution of
income Participation Culture and
leisure Education Sozial Support Integration Equal
rights North-South Solidarity
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Context other important reports
Environmental report
Social report
Economic develop- ment report
Spatial planning report
Increasing level of details
Sustainability report
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Embedded sustainability report
JI
DS
Decisions by cantonal council
Decisions by cantonal council
FD
Sustainability report
Objectives of the legislature / SD strategy
VD
Controlling
GD
BI
BD
SK
Orders from the Cantonal council
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Timetable

• Decision by the cantonal council to establish a
  sustainability report (April 2006)
• Constituting Steering Commitee (Mai, June 2006)
• Definition indicators, collection of datas,
  interviews with about 40 people (June November
  2006)
• Writing all texts, summary, guest commentary
  (Sep. Dec. 2006)
• Consultation in all departments (January
  February 2007)
• Publication (April 2007)
• Decision by the cantonal council to work out a
  sustainable development strategy (April 2007)
• Elections for the cantonal council (April 2007)
• Elaboration of the objectives of the legislature
  (Mai Juli 2007)

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Sucess stories

• Clear directions by the cantonal council
• Steering committee with senior representatives of
  the departments (political group)
• Support group provided good inputs (functional
  support)
• Personal contact with 40 people who helped to
  establish the texts of the sustainability report
• Additional resources of about 100 for one
  year
• Cantonal council of our Department of
  Construction carries the flag

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Integration of sustainable development into
political guidelines
Ideal situation (objectives for the legislature)

• SD in the preambule of the objectives of the
  legislature (guiding principles)
• SD as an important obective of the legislature
• SD as measures which are based on the objectives
  of the legislature

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Integration of sustainable development into
political guidelines
Status August 2007 (objectives for the
legislature)

• There are 3 guiding principles in the preambule
• Strengthen competitiveness of Zürich (?
  economical dimension)
• Protection of the natural ressources (?
  ecological dimension)
• Ensuring social cohesion (? social dimension)
• No concrete objectives yet
• We are trying to link the 3 guiding principles to
  measures
• Additional We are now working out a sustainable
  development strategy