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Environment and Health for European Cities in the 21st century: making a
difference
Stakeholders consultation
Utrecht, the Netherlands 13-14th December 2016
Towards the sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health:
which role for cities and sub-national level of government?
Laurence Carmichael PhD
Head, WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
University of the West of England, Bristol
www.uwe.ac.uk/research/who
[email protected]
Environment and Health for European Cities in the 21st
century: making a difference
Overall aim of the document:
• To support delivery of the global “healthy planet healthy people” agenda
and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by:
• Exploring desirability and opportunities of developing new, strategic and
mutually supportive partnerships with European cities and regional
authorities in relation to environment and health challenges and the
inequalities determined by them;
• Identifying policy and technical areas for collaboration and
partnership between international actors, national governments
and sub-national and local levels of government within the context of
the European Environment and Health Process (EHP)
• Facilitating implementation of effective policies and interventions,
including at the sub-national and local level, and fostering policy
coherence and support across different levels of government
Environment and Health for European Cities in the 21st
century: making a difference – the consultative process so far
:
June 2016
First draft of the document
27-28th June 2016
Stakeholders consultation meeting at WHO Bonn offices
(city and national representatives, UN Habitat, EEA, CoR,
UNECE, city networks, NGOs) to inform next draft
:
: July- October 2016
Redraft following stakeholders feedback
November 2016
Distribution of the document to broader stakeholder
community
13-14 December 2016
Stakeholder consultation in Utrecht to inform final draft
Cities, key stakeholders of the global healthy people,
healthy planet agenda
What policy-makers say about cities:
Cities today occupy approximatively only 2% of the total
land, but make up 70% of global GDP, over 60% of
global energy consumption, 70% of global greenhouse
gas emissions and 70% of global waste (Habitat III,
2016)
And in response, academics say:
The future of the world’s climate will be decided in the
cities.
(WBGU, 2015)
Drivers of change in European cities
European cities align with global trends:
•
Growing importance of cities for economic and social development
•
Increasing movement of people
•
Ageing population
•
Epidemic of non communicable disease
•
Impact of climate change
But European cities show specific
These offer specific challenges and
demographic, cultural and political opportunities to policy responses
features
to economic, social or
environmental drivers of changes
65% of urban European population
Economies of scale
live in cities with population less than
500,000
95% urban population live in cities
with less than 5 millions
Historic heritage
Adaptation/resilience to climate
change
Many European cities have high old
age dependency ratios
Organisation of services, accessibility
of the urban environment
Devolution to sub-national and local
authorities
Leadership. Vertical policy integration
Over 60% of decisions taken at the
European level have a direct impact
on municipalities, provinces and
regions
70% to 80% of public investments in
Europe are made by local and
regional authorities: leadership,
community engagement
Cities can make a difference to the Environment and Health
Agenda in Europe
Cities and natural resources
Cities and the human habitat
Sectors where European cities make a difference to
international policy
Resource management and climate action:
• Waste management
• Energy
• Air pollution
• Water management
• Food systems
• Ecological systems, biodiversity and green spaces
City living and health:
• Air pollution
• Urban planning and design
• Equity
• Housing
• Transport planning
How can European cities make a difference in these fields?
(1)
1. Local and sub-national responsibilities align with many SDGs
2. Many cities have developed their own initiatives to tackle climate change
and promote healthy living, for example:
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City planners licensing fast food outlets, providing spaces for allotments
Cities imposing Health Impact Assessment on new developments
Transport planners developing strategies for active travel and public transport
Green Capital Cities have promoted multi-sector partnerships
Cities have developed brownfield first and green belt policies
Some cities are exploring the smart city agenda
Local crowd funding of local projects
3. Over 60% of decisions taken at the European level have a direct impact on
municipalities, provinces and regions. Cities integrate international policies in
their services, for instance:
 Energy Performance of buildings Directive part of local planning policies
 Municipalities educate residents and invest in infrastructure/services to meet Waste
Framework Directive
How can European cities make a difference in these fields?
(2)
4. At the frontline of democracy, their leadership is best placed to ensure
that settlements are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Examples of challenges that are best tackled at local level:
• Social inclusion: integration of migrants
• Infrastructure and service delivery based on needs assessments and hard
priorities (housing, schools, healthcare)
• Development of integrated operations for resource management
• Making policy within context of multi-actor interests and negotiations
• Obtaining consensus on local spatial and transport plans and strategies
City assets/opportunities:
• Opportunities for policy integration adapted to local needs and priorities
• Proximity helps building public/private/academic sector collaborations:
creativity and innovation, green technologies, urban design, skill base
• Leadership and community engagement support knowledge synergies and
respond to local needs
• Knowledge of what works and what does not work on their territories
How can European cities make a difference in these fields?
(3)
5. Cities have organised themselves in thematic networks
NB: This is encouraged by the EU urban agenda
Purpose and benefits:
• Cohesive local approach to challenges
• Knowledge exchange, good practice
• Fostering multi-sector partnerships
• Informing international policy processes
•
•
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WHO Healthy Cities and Regions for Health networks
EU Committee of the Regions
Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)
Covenant of Mayors
ICLEI
EUROCITIES
POLIS
Placing urban policies at the heart of the EHP and SDG
delivery – proposed guiding principles
•
Respect subsidiarity and legitimacy
•
Use of evidence-base to inform policy-making
•
Pursue the reduction of inequalities and build social and physical resilience
•
Abide by the Aarhus convention (public participation, transparency)
•
Consider cross border issues
•
Commitment to health in all policies, “whole-of-government” and “wholeof-society” approach
Placing urban policies at the heart of the EHP and SDG
delivery – Possible topics and approaches
Possible topics:
• air pollution, water and sanitation, energy, waste, housing, urban spaces and
mobility, climate change and resilience
In practice:
• Develop cross sectoral collaboration, in particular between public health
and urban and transport planning, with
• Establish a new platform to channel sub-national representation in the EHP
and promote vertical policy coherence and collaboration across
international, national and local levels of governance
• Develop a strong knowledge sharing ethos
• Maximise use of tools already available to cities to evaluate the impact of
policies, plans and projects – Health Impact Assessment
Next steps
• Review the draft document in line of:
• Feedback and discussion at this consultation;
• Political discussion on the outcomes of the Sixth
Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health;
• Launch the document at the Sixth Ministerial Conference.
Thank you
Laurence Carmichael
WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban
Environments
University of the West of England, Bristol
www.uwe.ac.uk/research/who
[email protected]