Mieke De Schoenmakere 13 September 2016, Studiedag circulaire economie, Mechelen Transition towards more sustainability: the role of resource efficient cities

The key challenge for the 21st century Within environmental limits (Global Footprint Network, 2012; UNDP, 2014) ‘good life’

Limits to efficiency and technological gains Source: Tesla The scale of the needed improvements in environmental efficiency demands systemic innovation. It requires system transitions, driven by more ambitious actions on policy, knowledge, investments and innovation For example: The objective is not to change the transport system (change of technology) but to change mobility => that means we need to change not only the way to move but also urban planning (public spaces, morphology, density, urban design), the way to use a city (to work, to live, to socialize), the organisation of the daily life, lifestyle, values, perception, etc. Solutions such as ‘Smart cities’ or ‘ecodistricts’ are not at the scale of the problem. Society is the key component

Low carbon economy Circular economy An increasingly integrated, systemic policy setting Low carbon economy Decarbonisation Resi l ience Well being Water Materials Carbon Land Food Mobility Energy Urban Resource efficiency Circular economy Areas of activities, strategic area 2 Challenge to respond to the unprecedented change, interconnected risks and increased vulnerabilities the European environment faces (increasing complexity, and appreciation of the human-made systemic risks and vulnerabilities which threaten long-term ecosystem security.) A fundamental transition to a green economy – as called for, for example, in the Roadmap to a Resource-efficient Europe, the Low Carbon Economy Roadmap, the Energy Roadmap, the EU’s climate policies, and the 7th EAP requires proper consideration of the interplay between socio-economic and environmental factors, and an understanding of the linkages between environmental trends, emerging issues, associated uncertainties and the resulting systemic risks. Assessing these systemic risks is the focus of SA2 area, with the 5 year state of the environment reports (SOER) and annual indicator reports being the vehicles for drawing together all the relevant threads of knowledge developed through the activities in SA1 and 2. The need to provide a path to renewed economic growth and job creation in response to the current severe economic crises facing Europe and longer term prospects is widely acknowledged. In its simplest form, the overarching policy concept of a green economy recognises that ecosystems, the economy and human well-being, and the related types of capital they represent, are intrinsically linked.

International and European framework UN Sustainable Development Goals SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable European EU 2020 – strategy to promote smart, inclusive and sustainable growth Flagship initiative ‘Resource efficient Europe’ 7 EAP: Priority objective 9: help cities become more sustainable Aim: by 2020, most cities in the EU are implementing policies for urban planning and design. Low-carbon, resource efficient, competitive and well-being

Enhance the knowledge base and support policy development Three reports ‘What is a resource efficient city?’ ‘Resource efficient cities: good practices’ ‘Enabling resource efficient cities’

Enhance the knowledge base and support policy development Why resource-efficient cities matter? What are the main challenges and what can be done? What solutions can be implemented on different scales (time and space) and across sectors? What are the main drivers making urban transformation possible? How cities can be governed to achieve the transition to resource-efficient urban areas? How can the society be involved in the decision making proces?

Cities -factors of complexity A majority small and middle size cities in Europe Cities with no clear limit Continuum Urban - Rural What is a city? Adiminstrative city (Core city) Physical lay-out (UMZ) ´The Real´ city (LUZ) Around 1/3 of the European population lives in small cities and peri-urban areas Cities are a complex system Integration of different dimensions Urban technical system Green infrastructure Society

Ecological support systems The urban system drivers Urban system sources sinks Ecological support systems patterns lifestyles

The urban system- source of opportunities

Lineair metabolism

The lifespan of people, assets and infrastructure

Sequential investment for a better return

The key characteristics of a compact city

The consequences for the water system

Distribution of water consumption by household type

Green urbanism

A vision for the future

A vision for the future – challenges Source Lerablog.org

Thank you Marie.Cugny-Seguin@eea.europa.eu Mieke.Deschoenmakere@eea.europa.eu Sign up to receive EEA news, reports and alerts on your areas of interest at http://eea-subscriptions.eu/subscribe eea.europa.eu