Climate Adaptation Governance in Sweden: Implementing the ESPON TANGO Framework

Course: City Networks in Regional Contexts

KTH, 25 November 2014

Lisa Van Well

SGI

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Lisa van Well from the Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI) spoke about “Climate Adaptation Governance in Sweden

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This presentation …• What is territorial governance and how is it

operationalised by ESPON TANGO?

• A framework of analysis for analysing territorial governance and a checklist for doing territorial governance.

• Climate change adaptation governance in Sweden

• How can the TANGO framework facilitate local, regional and national governance for climate adaptation?

• ESPON (TANGO) results: of societal relevance or direct use by stakeholders?

TANGO policy and research questions

• What is territorial governance and how is it being approached across Europe?

• What are the barriers to ’good‘ territorial governance how are they being overcome?

• How can elements of territorial governance outcomes and processes be transferred to other areas?

• How can territorial governance help to achieve territorial cohesion and smart, inclusive and sustainable growth in Europe?

• What are the policy implications for EU Cohesion Policy and spatial planning instruments at national, regional and local levels?

Different type of ESPON project that looks at processes rather than structures…

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Main research components of the ESPON TANGO project

5 dimensions of territorial

governance

Literature Review

Exploring typologies of (territorial)

governance and government

Defining and validating indicators

of territorial governance

12 Case Studies: - Territorial

Governance at play

Identification of transferable features

territorial governance

A guide for practitioners, policy and decision maker

TANGO working definition of Territorial Governance

Territorial governance is the formulation and implementation of public policies, programmes and projects for the development* of a place/territory by

1) co-ordinating the actions of actors and institutions,2) integrating policy sectors,3) mobilising stakeholder participation,4) being adaptive to changing contexts5) realising the place-based/territorial specificities and impacts.

* We define development as the improvement in the efficiency, equality and environmental quality of a place/territory (in line with the Europe 2020 strategy).

5 Dimensions and 12 Qualitative “Indicators”…

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Five dimensions of territorial governance Twelve indicators for assessing the performance of territorial governance

Co-ordinating actions of actors and institutions

 

Governing Capacity

Leadership

Subsidiarity

Integrating policy sectors 

Public Policy Packaging

Cross-Sector Synergy

Mobilising stakeholder participation Democratic Legitimacy

Public Accountability

Transparency

Being adaptive to changing contexts Reflexivity

Adaptability

Realising place-based/territorial specificities and impacts

Territorial relationality

Territorial knowledgeability and impacts

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ESPON TANGO Case Study Areas: Main Territorial Focus

More practical tools to deal with conflicting sectoral interests

Institutional capacity building investments as complementary priorities . increase the level of preparedness for the “next” crisis.

 

Make Partnership contracts truly collaborative forums - financial measures and capacity for broad participation (ie smaller businesses)

Territorial knowledge can be utilized in the new programmes. More timely utilization of ex ante or on-going evaluations in the policy design for the drafting of new programmes should be considered.

 

Programmes could be more adaptable in terms of finding ways of transcending the “project” form. Includes questions of the “ownership” of results and the possible “institutionalisation” of sustainable strategies.

 

Options for the Future of Cohesion Policy

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Five dimensions framework offers a simple heuristic or guideline for considering, reviewing and eventually doing territorial governance processes

Flexible governance or “softer” structures may have greater opportunities of building more forward-looking developments into projects. But how to incorporate in rigid administrative routines?

Acknowledging territory by:

1) the creation and work towards a common territorial goal or developing a specific territorial rationale,

2) utilising a high degree of flexibility in policy design and implementation

3) developing a culture of collaboration to link the policy, planning, civil society and scientific communities to coordinate territorial knowledge

Policy options for national, regional and local authorities

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Inter-relations between the five dimensions of territorial governance

A checklist for thinking about and “promoting” Territorial Governance

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1. Coordinate the actions of actors and institutions to set up flexible coordination based on subsidiarity

Which actors at all levels are needed to organize and deliver the territorial goal at stake? What types of existing platforms or forums are available to facilitate coordination? Do existing platforms/forums have the capacity and legitimacy among actors and institutions to achieve the territorial goal at stake? What is the formal and informal distribution of power / room for manoeuver? What types of territorial knowledge do actors and institutions have?

2. Integrate policy sectors to create a rationale for policy integration Which policy sectors are needed to be able solve the issue at hand? What are the potential or real sectoral conflicts? Who is able to discuss the topic? Who has a stake in this? What are the potential synergies that could be realized by inter-sectoral cooperation?

3. Mobilise stakeholder participation to involve the appropriate actors Have all relevant groups been considered (e.g. inhabitants, policymakers, interest groups)? How can new or previously excluded groups be included in participation processes? How could stakeholders be encouraged to participate? How are stakeholders given insight into territorial governance processes? Are there processes or mechanisms in place to use the territorial knowledge gained through stakeholder participation?

4. Be adaptable to changing contexts to pursue a shared understanding of the changing context

How can individual and institutional learning be encouraged? How can forward-looking and/or experimental decisions be made? In which ways can new territorial knowledge be integrated into the process? Have contingency plans been made, and what is the scope of flexibility?

5. Realise place-based/territorial specificities and impacts to adopt a multi-scalar vision

What are the place-based specificities that are most relevant for the issue? How has the area of intervention been defined? Are the boundaries “soft” or hard? How can territorial knowledge (expert or tacit) be utilized in achieving the goal? How are the territorial impacts of policies, programmes and projects evaluated?

What lessons from TANGO can be applied to climate adaptation in Sweden?

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What will happen with global climate change?

• Melting snow and ice, shrinking glaciers

• Sea level rise, change in water quality and quantity

• Drought / wetter climate• More extreme weather

events• Changes in ecosystem

and socioeconomic system

IPCC AR5, WGII 2014. ” Adaptation: The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects.

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• Climate change adaptation is facilitated by territorial governance?

• Territorial governance is facilitated by climate change adaptation?

Climate adatpation and territorial governance

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IPCC principles for successful adaptation and TANGO dimensions of TG

• Adaptation planning and implementation enhanced by actions across levels, from individuals to governments and intersectoral (Dim 1)

• Strategies to reduce vulnerability include actions with co-benefits for other objectives (“no-regrets”). (Dim 2)

• Needs to include societal values, percepetions and knowledge (stakeholder invovlement) (Dim 3)

• Sensitive to various institutional / organisational settings (Dim 4)

• Adaptation is place- and context-specific, with no “one-size-fits all” approach (Dim 5)

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Who does what in Sweden?

• Implementation of technical adaptation measures at municipal level level (planning, development, protective measures)

• Responsibility for coodination of local level efforts given to the County Administrative Boards

• National authorities have sectoral responsibility for oversight and knowledge building

• No real ”national strategy” – Risk and Vulnerability Study from 2007 – Climate and Energy Proposition from 2008 (appropriated

funding and tasks to national authorities)

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Report ”Control Station 2015” for adaptation to a changing climate in Sweden

A background paper to assess to the progress in Swedish adaptation measures and to ensure that the climate adaptation work in proceding towards the same goal.

What priorities should be given, how can cross-sectoral work be developed further, what are the appropriate governance arrangements? Final date 31 December 2014Project Leader: SMHI

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Lessons from TANGO: Dim 1Coordinating actions of actors and institutions

• Platforms for coordination/ communication: SMHI climate portal, MSB natural disasters

• But still need to systematically survey the types of territorial knowledge among actors: Control station 2015

• Unclear formal distribution of responsibility and little room for manoeuver in legislation: Clearer goals- national, regional, local

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Lessons from TANGO: Dim 2Integrating policy sectors

• Cross-sectoral climate adaptation still a challenge: Formulate explicit national goals in line with international strategies

• Contradicting laws (Environmental code and Planning and Building Law): Oversee conflicing legislation

• Potential synergies important as ”no-regrets” measures: Need to fill an already identified need of municipality/region

EU ”Scoreboard” för Climate adaptation (SMHI)

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Lessons from TANGO: Dim 3Mobilising stakeholder participation

• Challenge to bring new groups (previously excluded) into process… ie Landsting (County Councils) or private actors: Create new forums (Business dialoges)

• True stakeholders involvement: Involve them in territorial risk consequence calculations

• Difference in resources between small and large municipalities – need to transcend ”project work”: More climate adaptation support from national government

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Lessons from TANGO: Dim 4Being adaptable to changing contexts

• Climate adaptation by definition must be flexible and forward-looking… but hard to do with tight yearly budgets for authorities: More long-term mandates from national government desired!

• Administrative organisations (local, national) not designed to be able to handle too much territorial input: Simplify! Be more specific as to the real areas of responsibility

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Lessons from TANGO: Dim 5realising place-based territorial specificities

• Territorial specificities: Climate adaptation strategy based on real risk and vulnerability assessments

• Local stakeholder need more detailed climate knowledge to make plans: Provide and ”translate” knowledge

• Local stakeholders want to know the territorial impacts of various measures before they make costly decisions: Better and more detailed planning studies with climate aspects

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What type of territorial governance arrangement do we need for climate adaptation?

• What is the appropriate area of intervention for climate adaptation? Can this be acheived in the ”hard” exisiting administrative spaces or should we have more functional ”softer” areas of intervention?

• Shall we have a climate change governmental department?• One authority with overall responsibility?• Continued sectoral integration and mainstreaming?• Responsibilities by function?• More top-down efforts, or more bottom-up?• How to link the levels?

Research ”on”

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Direct relevance Direct use

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Indirect relevance

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Thanks for your attention!

More information?

ESPON TANGO: http://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_AppliedResearch/tango.html

Climate adaptation in Sweden:

http://www.klimatanpassning.se/in-english/about-the-portal-1.25107

Contact: Lisa.vanwell@swedgeo.se

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