The climate change requires new approaches

Responding to the climate change challenge is a relatively new task for cities. It is interconnected with most issues and sectors of city development and it has a huge impact on the quality of life of citizens and on the potentials of our economies. As the world is changing rapidly, traditional long and medium term planning approaches seem to be insufficient to tackle the climate change issue. What benefits can a management approach bring?

The project Managing Urban Europe-25 (MUE-25), coordinated by the UBC Commission on Environment Secretariat, has developed a model for local and regional sustainability, which is applicable to all cities and regions in the EU27. Twenty-five European cities and regions participated to jointly develop and implement the model. The model of an integrated management system (IMS) is a response and a method on how to implement the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment which was adopted in January 2006. The MUE-25 model of an IMS was also taken up in the recently published guidance in relation to the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment.

Integrated management system as a strategic framework
The IMS is a way of addressing rising challenges of cities and regions more efficiently and proactively. New research, data and challenges need to be put on the agenda of cities. It is easy to get lost and difficult to find a way forward. The IMS gives a frame for being able to support frequent reconsideration of plans, actions, performance and achievements. It has a cyclic management approach, which allows for timely corrections of measures when new information and data suggest doing so. In theory it is fairly easy - a city only has to follow five basic steps.

1. Baseline review - checking the current situation.
2. Target Setting - setting targets for the future.
3. Political Commitment - ratifying the targets with a council decision.
4. Implementation & Monitoring.
5. Evaluation & Reporting - evaluatingthe results of the year and take newdecisions for next year.

Furthermore, there are two elements that are applied all along the 5 steps but that are the actual engine of the IMS i.e.
- Organisational Set-up - the way the responsibilities are defined and how the system is coordinated.
- Communication and Involvement.

The IMS follows an annual process and is closely linked to the annual budget process. This process is based on the widely accepted management approach the Plan-Do-Check-Act and also on existing environmental management systems such as ISO 14001, EMAS and ecoBUDGET. It has its roots in the Aalborg Commitments.

City of Vaxjo as an example
At the recent UBC General Conference, Vaxjo was announced as the Best Environmental Practice in Baltic Cities Award 2007. It was stated that Fossil Fuel Free Vaxjo is a climate strategy including goals and actions for Vaxjo to become a fossil fuel free city. By 2010, CO₂ emissions shall be reduced by 50% per capita compared to 1993. By 2005 a reduction of 24 percent has been accomplished. What are the success factors behind this accomplishment? One thing is not coming out from the description - the way that Vaxjo work towards achieving their goals. They are working with a management system which is very clearly linked to the budget process and which enables them to have a coordinating and follow up mechanism which provides a holistic view of targets, actions, stakeholders, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Previously, their management system was focusing on environmental issues only. During MUE-25 Vaxjo is now including other areas such as health, youth issues, gender equality, integration, etc. into the same process.

A tool for cities climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts
As MUE-25 is now being finalised the project can give guidance to further cities and regions that want to work more effectively and proactively with the sustainability challenges including the climate change issue. An introduction to the IMS is available in 9 languages at www.mue25.net. An online tool with more in-depth guidance and city examples can be found on www.localmanagement.eu.