MAKING PRACTICE AND RESEARCH MATTER (MORE)

Transcription

1 MAKING PRACTICE AND RESEARCH MATTER (MORE) REFLECTIONS UPON FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEA P R O F E S S O R L O N E K Ø R N Ø V C O N F E R E N C E C E L E B R ATI N G 1 0 Y E AR S O F S E A I N P O R TU G AL A D E C AD E AF TE R : C H AL L E N G E S AN D O P P O R TU N I TI E S 13 TH D E C E M B E R

2 Aalborg University, Department of Development and Planning

3 Presentation The point of departure: Environmental assessment and decisionmaking - the bounded judgment and non-linearity of decisionmaking Trends in the application of SEA in Denmark and the changing governance landscape Observations and reflections for future practice and research within SEA

4 Environmental Assessment & the dilemma between knowledge and decision The security of information and the importance of decisions during the decision-making process. The importance of decisions Knowledge about the environmental impacts Implementation Start End

5 Re-visiting old work: Bounded judgment and non-linearity of decision making Much of the work in impact assessment is based on the belief or assumption that the provision of better, scientifically valid information or knowledge regarding a decision issue will contribute to a better, more rational decision.but the literature points to other characteristics of real decision-making processes, including cognitive limitations, behavioural biases, ambiguity and variability of preferences and norms, distribution of decisionmaking over actors and in time, and the notion of decision-making as a process of learning and negotiation between multiple actors.

6 Decisions in SEA Are made continuously; final, during and after formally and informally, consciously and non-consciously Takes place in different arenas; Technical, political, social and institutional Can be programmed or non-programmed and everything in between Can be actual problem solving or non-problem solving Involves multiple actors and takes place in interaction (confrontation/conflict, bargaining or problem solving) Are subjective, made through sense-making and sense-giving,. To a limited extend explained by environmental knowledge

7 The intention of affecting processes and outcomes in favour of sustainability SEA practice Policy- and decisionmaking SEA is about making a difference And becoming a stronger change agent for sustainability Research SEA involve people and depend upon people And the processes through which people participate and interact

8 Trends in application of SEA Two interesting trends, which may affect our perception of when SEA is relevant as well the way in which SEA or SEA like approaches are applied I. Introduction of simplification and rationalisation agendas to regulation II. Change in governance involving: a. A private sector led process towards more proactive planning and strategic use of SEA b. A strengthened and expanded transdisciplinary and multi-actor network The trends influences Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) at the level of application and involves also a shift in actors leading and applying SEA

9 I. Strategic and active use of SEA in planning

10 The strategic element of SEA? Two point of departures: 1. Presumption that the level before the project/eia necessarily contain some strategic choices Bottom-up perspective Aims to "cure" the shortcomings of EIA 2. Any plan or programme (decision) has the potential to affect sustainability Top-down perspective Aims to capture what is significant and develop strategic support/frame for sustainability The strategic thinking and decision-making for sustainability needs to be part of planning og not only the SEA Most work is within the first departure point A major reason lies within the Directive the SEA requirement is closely related to the project level.

11 The case Renewable energy symbiosis development, named GreenLab Skive - An innovative energy- and ressource landscape business parc - Requiring land-use planning, SEA and EIA

12 It started with a problem (and a potential) Challenge in storing wind and solar energy, which makes the transition towards a sustainable energy system difficult A possibility to have power to gas, which can then be stored in the existing natural gas network

13 Then came the vision Leading center for the future renewable energy-symbiosis Create new green jobs Establishing a power to gas facility Be a frame for community, research and development Buildings incorporated into the landscape Architecture demonstrating the future energy- and resource landscape Destination for RE tourism

14 Galaxy energy- and ressource landscape

15 With early dialogue with stakeholders Municipality (different departments) Potential companies Universities Governmental agencies Local NGOs Local communities

16 Having a strong focus on potentials How to enhance the sustainability of the system? How to enhance and benefit the local communities and municipality as such?

17 Compensate Restore Minimize Avoid Enhance

18 Working with many types of alternatives on different strategic levels Included and assessed alternatives SEA/muncipal plan SEA/framework local plan Alternative locations for GreenLab Alternatives for climate optimising GreenLab Zoning alternatives within the area Alternatives for wind mill (number, location, sizes) Alternatives for water supply in the area Alternatives for traffic Alternative landscape designs and nature planning EIA/projects and local plans Focus on the individual activity - Narrower scope regarding alternatives and environmental concerns - More detailed assessments and mitigation measures

19 Concious strategic tiering - Proactive planning and SEA before EIA SEA + the municpal plan Location Framework local plan SEA + the framework local plan SEA and EIA of local plans/projects Zoning Nature registration/analysis Comprehensive landscape design Nature development Infrastructures Dialogue with citizens and other stakeholders

20 The SEA? - The assessment - Characterised by a very integrated process (planning and SEA) with - Integration of significant concerns and potentials during plan development - Developing/changing the plan for the development - With environmental and health benefits - And supported through public participation and dialogue - Carbon footprint undertaken - Carbon benefit secured through added wind energy - Recommendations for input to the biogas facility - The reporting - The changes made within the process, - How and where implemented in the plans, - What to take care of at a later stage and how & who

21 The process Interactive Several workshops/work meetings Dynamic participation Having the right experience/knowledge at the right time (internally) Inviting potential companies for dialogue (Informal) dialogue with the agencies Political level engaged in the process Local citizens engaged Local community meetings, public meetings, open house events and the more personal contact at the kitchen table

22 Important experiences What was achieved? Strategic thinking with a point of departure in a problem A planning that continuously have integrated sustainability concerns and proactively handled critical impacts. In dialogue with the potential companies and citizens in the community Not only mitigated negative impacts but also developed and enhanced positive impacts (e.g. nature) Scoped the later EIA work (and thereby relieved the companies)? Why succeeded? High level of ambition with internal commitment to the vision (professionally and politically) Before planning and SEA formally was initiated Cross-disciplinary organisation and involving research Openness and trust internally and with the companies Collaboration and the sense of being together working on the vision/challenge ( we. ) Resources available?

23 Another current case: Proactive SEA process for opportunity assessments Strategic development of the Port of Aalborg SEA beyond compliance Environmental and stakeholder complexity Environment has been experienced as a threat and IA coming too late in the decision process Objective of project: How to develop and use IA much earlier than mandatory SEA to make the environment a key strategic factor in the strategic planning and development of the Port of Aalborg. Nature Protection Act Habitat Directive, Annex IV RBMP Soil Act EIA + SEA Emissions targets ISO-standards Environmental permit, BAT Coastal zone Planning Noise Act Waste Directive IMO, konventioner Modtagebekendtgørelsen

24 II. Changes in governance - towards a more collaborative knowledge production, linking research, practice and decision-making

25 Changes in the governance landscape Some developments observed: Increase in looking into IA as an environmental opportunity assessment The developer is e.g. increasingly seeing IA as a beneficial tool in engaging local community From Ministry/Agency being the main driver for IA quality assurance to NEBA and today more and more developers, consultants and researchers From opposition among local authorities and developers to acceptance and today increased acknowledgement of IA as a meaningful tool for sustainable project design Role of research moving towards closer interaction with a range of societal stakeholders and playing a role for national network (NEBA Nature and Environment Board of Appeal)

26 Wider potentials experienced through network Network development also as an indication of a changing governance landscape, e.g.: Number of participants at national EA days (course and conference) Representation from different organizations/diversity in participants at EA days Number and type of initiated collaborations Co-development and undertaken of national training programme (Informal) and collaborative guidance development Influencing Trust Courage and experiments New knowledge production between research and practice New and shared agendas (e.g. strategic thinking and planning, constructive public engagement, social concerns, life cycle perspectives, better/ daring scoping) And hereby show great potentials for SEA making a difference towards sustainability

27 The potential role of research? - Point of departure and underlying assumption To make green knowledge and action, science and practice needs to be connected. Scholarly discussion about effectiveness of environmental assessment (EA) has increased over the last years and it has been questioned if EA has the wanted impact on the planning and decision making process: expert-driven perspective without sufficient attention to contextual circumstances without sufficient understanding and recognition of the actual non-linear decision making processes By this traditional knowledge production SEA research is primarily certified by journal publication through peer review, and applied later by others if applied at all.

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29 SEA research as change agency Some characteristics of change agency (mode 3): Multiple stakeholder, involvement and interdisciplinarity Conversation and co-operations Engagement in study field High organisational autonomy and strategic interdependence Huff and Huff (2001); Kurek (2008). Led by: a goal of a future good Huff and Huff (2001) and giving voice through science as social advocacy Jamison (2009).

30 Different roles for the (SEA) researcher Taking side Identification Partisanship Helping out Critical friend Participates Giving advice Academic distance Professional input

31 Initiating Mode 3 - Hybrid catalyst The most influential mechanism experienced and assessed: 1. A personal engagement in social and environmental development from the actors at both the university and in the external organisation. 2. A shared wish for research that will lead to effective SEA in terms of securing, that SEA is having an impact on reel planning and decisionmaking securing a more sustainable development. 3. The entrée of occasion for dialogue. First of all occasions must exist or be developed, but one also needs to welcome the occasion and enter the dialogue with a confrontation of own research intentions listening to the intentions of the environment.

32 Conclusion and observations In search of potentials for SEA influencing decision-making towards sustainability Simplification and rationalisation agendas to the regulation of the environment sector (as well as other sectors) Not supporting but also not directly hindering A private sector-led process towards more proactive planning and use of SEA as a facilitator and becoming more strategy based From effect assessment to using SEA as a facilitator for sustainable decision-making and stakeholder involvement Including assessments beyond the formal scope of the SEA Directive but definitely in line with the rationality of SEA. Closer interaction and stronger networks between different stakeholders Role of research moving towards closer interaction with a range of societal stakeholders and playing a role for national network Trust-building across consultants, local authorities, agencies and researchers

33 Thank you for the attention