www.ieep.eu

Approaches to Green Infrastructure Implementation in EU Member States

“Planning for biodiversity” Conference - Warsaw, 7-9 November 2011

Leonardo Mazza, IEEP

Content of this presentation

I.  General background on GI v Context: on-going study on the topic v Possible definition of GI & implications v Scope/focus of this presentation II. Policy tools and instruments for GI Implementation v Structured around examples of spatial

planning and land-use measures supporting GI

v Role of other tools & instruments also highlighted

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I.  General Introduction

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Context: on-going work

v  IEEP currently leading “Green Infrastructure Implementation and Efficiency”- study for DG ENV

v Most findings presented here today have emerged from the

work done in the context of this study – the project is still on-going – results not been approved by the Commission yet

v Green infrastructure relatively new and flexible term: has been

interpreted in different ways since no official definition exists

v Early in the project IEEP liaised with other contractors working on DG ENV studies relating to GI to agree on a working definition of GI

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A possible definition Working definition of green infrastructure derived for the project work: “Green infrastructure is the network of natural and semi-natural areas, features and green spaces in rural and urban, terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine areas, which together

* enhance ecosystem health and resilience, * contribute to biodiversity conservation and * benefit human populations through the maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem services”.

“Green infrastructure can be strengthened through strategic and co-ordinated initiatives that focus on maintaining, restoring, improving and connecting existing areas and features as well as creating new areas and features”. (Ecologic et al., 2011) => Should not be seen as an official definition 5

A wide range of objectives/benefits

Green infrastructure policy interventions may pursue a wide range of objectives, including:

*biodiversity conservation/ecosystem resilience, *climate change mitigation/adaptation, *water quality improvement, *flood/disaster control, *coastal protection, *recreation, *human health (e.g. improved air quality) => Typically, GI initiatives will pursue several objectives simultaneously but may occasionally pursue only one of these explicitly 6

Variety of contexts

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Initiatives reported as implementing the Green infrastructure take place in a variety of contexts. To name just a few:

v use of GI in and around urban areas, e.g. for micro-climate regulation, water provision, recreation, urban biodiversity

v wetlands & floodplains restored and managed for flood risk management, climate change adaptation/mitigation, biodiversity, increase in overall resilience

v multifunctional use of GI in farmland, forests & coastal areas, e.g. provision of food, wood, recreation, biodiversity conservation, etc.

Focus of this presentation

v  GI Implementation potentially an extremely vast field. A broad interpretation of the GI concept implies that its “implementation” in EU Member States may: o  take very different forms; o  rely on a variety of policy tools and instruments; o  may affect a broad range of natural landscape features in

multiple ways.

v  Existing measures generally combine different policy tools and instruments to protect, manage and develop Europe’s green infrastructure.

v  This presentation focuses on initiatives which have spatial planning and land-use related measures at their core but also highlights some of the tools & instrument have supported their implementation and increased their effectiveness

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II. Policy tools and instruments for GI Implementation

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Policy instruments & tools - overview Often, GI policy measures in the area of spatial planning and land-use management build on instruments falling in the category of: strategies & action plans and regulation & planning They are however generally supported by or combined with instruments and tools in the areas of: •  Information gathering and mapping •  Economic/ market instruments •  Public investments •  Communication and advisory measures •  Governance/institutional innovation or reform 10

Strategies and Action Plans

v Set out overall strategic approach to Green Infrastructure provision, often with implications for planning:

v  Non-binding, strategic document identifying need to take measures

v Can potentially include (new) objectives (including targets) or outline general principles; may announce concrete measures

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Regulation and Spatial Planning

v Regulation of land use – legislation at different levels to regulate the use of land to avoid further deterioration of GI

v Spatial planning/ integrated territorial development – at different levels, resulting in spatial plans reflecting choice to preserve/enhance GI

v Other: procedural requirements e.g. EIA/SEA; liability and compensation

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Illustrative case example 1 v Green and Blue Infrastructure (FR) o  Green and blue corridors officially created

in the 2010 Grenelle II law o  Objective: preserving and enhancing

ecological continuities o  At the national level overall framework

document is prepared and updated. o  Translates, at regional level, in‘Regional

Ecological Coherence Schemes’, to be taken into account in local planning tools => the G&B Infrastructure is to be managed locally

o  Biodiversity benefits: reduction of adverse impacts and deterioration & targeted investment in restoration and creation of GI

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Supporting instrument: public investment Success will depend on degree of

v  investment in GI restoration/creation projects/programmes v  long-term financing/ maintenance

=> A pilot of the green and blue infrastructures approach was carried out in the region Alsace between 2003 and 2009 where the region financed: o  Creation of 1000 hectares of ecological corridors o  Planting of 4000 high stem fruit trees o  Restoration of 140 ha central nuclei o  Creation of 15 km of wildlife passages along canal and rivers o  Supported 50 projects led by communities, NGOs and farmers

v Other: EU expenditure for GI, land purchase

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Illustrative case example 2 v The Barcelona Metropolitan Territorial

Plan (ES)

o  Adopted in 2010, it approved the special protection of 70.5% of the region based on connectivity criteria and the role of the territorial matrix in the process of conservation of species and ecological processes.

o  Biodiversity benefits: improved

functional connectivity of habitats & increased ecosystem health via the designation of special protected areas.

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Supporting instrument: information gathering & mapping Part of this success can be attributed to:

v  Information gathering & mapping project o  SITXELL project started in 2001 as a project

developed by the Barcelona Provincial Council o  a territorial information system about the open areas

in the province of Barcelona utilising the technology of geographical information systems (GIS)

o  Objectives: provide knowledge and raise awareness about the ecological and socio-economic value of natural areas

o  For a better consideration of natural values and ecosystem goods and benefits in integrated land planning

v Other: analysis of GI benefits for integration into decision-making including quantification and valuation of benefits

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Illustrative case example 3 v Coastal zone law – “loi

littoral” (FR) o  Adopted in 1986, it is a long-

standing attempt to organise land use planning in coastal areas in view of preserving natural heritage

o  Enhanced existing zoning regulations, has allowed to avoid large scale developments, encouraged densification and pushed urbanisation away from the sea

o  Biodiversity Benefits: Has been credited for slowing down the reduction of natural spaces in coastal areas

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Supporting instrument: governance

Part of the success of this measure can be attributed to the :

v Creation of a new institution o  Conservatory of the Coastal areas (FR), public administrative

body created in 1975 to ensure protection of outstanding natural areas on the coast

o  Mission: buy fragile or threatened land o  End of 2010: covered 138 000 ha of natural spaces of which 82 000

it owned and 56 000 ha it was managing for the state. o  580 coastline guards recruited by managing institutions are in

charge of surveillance and maintenance of the sites.

v Other, participatory decision-making process, reporting on implementation, coordination of policies

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Illustrative case example 4

v  Landscape Ecological Plans (LEPs) on state-owned land (mainly forests) (FI)

o  Since 2000, LEPs are developed on a regional level - outline the general principles and goals of land use on state owned forest areas for 10 years

o  Setting ecological objectives but also pursue the goal of ensuring existence of nature-based sources of livelihood => integrated approach to forest management

o  BD benefits: In 2009 area under LEP in-state owned forests included 168 000 ha with high biodiversity value and 181 000 ha of land designated as ecological connections (additional to PAs)

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Supporting instrument: economic/ market instruments

Part of the success can be attributed to: v Land management contracts/agreements (PES-scheme) o  MESTO Programme (2008-2016), which aims to improve

conservation on both state-owned and private forests o  Voluntary participation of landowners interested in carrying out

conservation measures in their forests o  Guaranteed funding for programme by 2012: €182 million o  During 2008-2009, programme yielded: approx. 14,000 ha of

strictly protected area (of which about 4000 ha private); 6,400 ha of forest protected area (of which 300 ha private); environmentally friendly forestry practices supported in about 21,000 ha of private forests

v Other: resource pricing (e.g. taxes, charges, fees, land values), (green) public procurement

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Supporting instrument: communication & advisory measures Demand for and effective implementation of most types of

instruments will often be underpinned by activities in the areas:

v Awareness raising

v Advice and guidance

v Capacity building

v Technical assistance on EU level

v Technical assistance at MS/Regional level for potential beneficiaries of EU financed projects

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Conclusions

v Wide range of green infrastructure projects and measures exist although they are not always identified as such

v  There is much scope for further promoting promising approaches in land use planning that better take into account green infrastructure. Result: improved efficiency in the delivery of biodiversity benefits and ecosystem services

v Spatial planning measures may not achieve their full potential in a context of limited policy coherence and long-term financing

v Spatial planning which recognises and responds to the value of biodiversity and ecosystems is key but only one element in a wider toolbox of measures that need to be in place if biodiversity targets are to be met.

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Thank you www.ieep.eu IEEP is an independent not for profit institute

dedicated to advancing an environmentally sustainable Europe through policy analysis, development and

dissemination.

Contacts: Leonardo Mazza lmazza@ieep.eu

Graham Tucker gtucker@ieep.eu

The  new  Manual  of  European  Environmental  Policy  h'p://www.europeanenvironmentalpolicy.eu/    Winner  of  the  European  Informa;on  Associa;on’s  2011  Award  for  Excellence  in  European  Informa4on  Provision.