Ian Preston

1

• Final conference.
• 16th-17th September 2004
• The Hague

2
How the PRESUD review enables assessment of the
progress a city is making towards best practice
in the 6 environmental themes.

• How the PRESUD methdology was developed from OECD
  peer review.
• PSR Model, Indicators.
• How it is applied to identify progress towards
  best practice.
• Benchmarks, Hypotheses.
• Some examples of the assessment of best practice
• Carbon Neutral, EMAS, Hyllie development
• How can a city move towards best practice in a
  theme when it has limited direct competence.
• Sustainable drainage

3
Role of the Environment Agency (England and
Wales)

• Main management functions include
• flood defence water quality and water resources
  waste management process industry regulation
  fisheries contaminated land and biodiversity.
• Government identified role in sustainable
  development
• To protect and enhance the environment in a way
  that takes account of economic and social
  considerations.
• To be an independent advisor on environmental
  matters affecting policy-making, both within
  government and more widely.

4
Origin of the PRESUD Performance Assessment
Framework

• Developed from OECD Environmental Performance
  Review Programme (1991)
• Aimed to assist countries improve performance in
• environmental management, sustainable
  development, international commitments
• Peer Reviews undertaken to a Pressure-State-Respon
  se (PSR) model to evaluate
• Pressures from human activities
• State of the environment as a result
• Responses by government (policies), enterprises
  and households
• Harmonised environmental indicators developed
• 50 Core indicators (10 Key)
• Sectoral indicators e.g. energy, transport
• Environmental accounting indicators e.g. natural
  resource use

5
OECD Key Environmental Indicators
Trend
Issues
Available Indicators
Climate Change 1. CO2 emissions Ozone Layer 2.
Consumption of ODSs Air Quality 3. SOx NOx
emissions Waste Generation 4. Municipal waste
generation Freshwater Quality 5. Waste water
treatment standard Freshwater Resources 6. Water
resources use intensity Forest Resources 7.
Forest resources use intensity Fish Resources 8.
Fish resources use intensity Energy Resources 9.
Energy use intensity Biodiversity 10. Threatened
species
Positive progress
Insignificant change / unsure
Deterioration
6
Using the PRESUD model to assess progress towards
best practice.

• PSR Model used for each theme.
• Hypotheses
• Developed following evidence provision by City
  (theme tables etc).
• Tested during and post review to see if
  understanding correct.
• Benchmarks
• Developed from OECD Environmental Indicators for
  6 themes.
• Ideal policy approach based on best practice
  legal requirements EU and international policy
  objectives.
• Benchmarks expressed as leading questions.
• Citys response to pressures and state compared
  against the benchmark.
• Does the City show best practice in sustainable
  development?

7
Assessment of Best PracticeCarbon Neutral

• Partnership led by Newcastle City to take
  practical action against global warming.
• Businesses and the public encouraged to
• find out more about their impact use public
  transport use green power reduce emissions
• Benchmark Comparison
• How effective is the City in encouraging citizens
  and business to reduce consumption?
• How is the City investing in renewable energy?
• Leadership
• Critical where the City has little or no
  competence over a theme.
• Good Practice?

8
OECD Policy Packages to address Environmental
Problems

• Technological development and diffusion
• support to RD, technology demonstration projects
• Economic instruments
• taxes, charges, fees
• Regulatory instruments
• permits, emissions standards, ambient quality
  standards
• Voluntary approaches
• voluntary schemes, negotiated agreements
• Information and education
• education campaigns, data collection
  monitoring, indicator use
• Other policies
• land-use planning, zoning

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Assessment of Best PracticeEMAS ISO 14001

• Benefits
• Environmental legal compliance and awareness e.g.
  Duty of Care
• Cost efficiency saving e.g. materials and energy
• Improves public image and community relations
• Culture of continuous improvement
• EURO-EMAS Project
• City Council major player in local economy
• Direct impact on environment through service
  provision
• Developed framework and practical tools to
  support other Cities
• PRESUD relevance
• Leadership and credibility e.g. Vienna
  eco-business club
• Verdict?

10
Assessment of Best PracticeHyllie development -
Malmö

• Development of agricultural land to a new City
  District around a new train station (City Tunnel
  development).
• Benchmark Comparisons
• Agriculture - loss of best agricultural land in
  Sweden
• Soil - sealing
• Water Quality - agricultural land causes
  eutrophication
• Biodiversity - wetlands and existing green space
  enhanced
• Transport - modal shift from car to railway
• Air Quality - less traffic in city centre
• Land-use planning and Environmental Impact
  Assessment important
• Good Practice?

11
Towards best practice where a City has limited
direct competence a comparison
Augustenborg, Malmö
River Thames, England
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Towards best practice where a City has limited
direct competence a comparison

• Sweden (Malmö)
• Integrated water management duties
• Sustainable Drainage Policy is best practice
• Leadership and Community Engagement
• England and Wales (Most Cities)
• Water management duties dispersed
• Environment Agency OFWAT Private water
  companies Cities
• City has limited direct competence
• Development planning limited flood defence role
• Cities - system will not change Cities must
  show
• Leadership (vision, motivation) Partnership
  working

13
How can a City make progress towards best
practice in the 6 environmental themes?
LEADERSHIP