Current local climate policies

Branding and benchmarking programs of local authorities in profiles of energy effectiveness, CO2 cuts, and climate adaptation have been manifold:

Besides this, various efforts to integrate energy- and climate politics in Local planning measures is being developed; such as Plan 09 looking for measures to integrate climate concern and energy cuts in the local district spatial and strategic planning documents. In general this decentralisation has been unfunded. The Organisation of Municipalities (KL) has suggested a mandatory elaboration of energy/CO2 plans of municipalities, but required that such an initiative should be funded from the government. But a liberal tax stop policy have hindered the allocation of resources for this.  Central projects have been marginal – only providing general tools (e.g. for mapping/monitoring of CO2) and surveys.

Within the inter-municipality co-operation (KL) professional networks, addressing climate and energy issues have been set up. KL in general has adopted the climate and energy-agenda as one of its cornerstones.

Local business and ngo actors and eco-energy stakeholders are being included as partners in many of the climate and energy efforts and programmes of the municipalities. This shows a high variety in interaction schemes, ranging from professionalised institutions (Project Zero, Sønderborg) to participatory schemes (climate camp, Herning). Part of this public/private interaction and set-ups is an attempt to establish more room for manoeuvring, than laid down in ‘legal framework of municipalities’ [Kommunalfuldmagten] and the financial agreement with the Government.

Local projects

Despite hesitating substantial support from central government and competition with other local agendas, there has been a group of local energy and climate (CO2-reduction) projects, involving in some extent construction and housing. They can be seen as part of a learning process, also in terms of learning about capacities and barriers. A study in relation to local CO2-reduction (Grontmij/Carl Bro 2009) has revealed that municipalities perceive major problems in the institutional and regulatory framework and the conditions offered by government. In relation to construction and housing, they point to

This includes huge differences in municipality practices, and experiences. The case studies show a number of specific experiences of projects/initiatives taken by front runner municipalities, or municipalities, which have been participating in projects driven by social entrepreneurship.

 

This web-site is edited by Roskilde University in cooperation with Technical University of Denmark, Danish Building Research Institute, Technological Institute, PP-consult, Syd-tek and Bjørn Axelsen ApS. Coordinator: Inger Stauning, RUC, is (a) ruc .dk