Download - Portuguese environmental policy at the municipal level and progress towards Local Agenda 21
Portuguese environmental policy at the municipal level...
... and progress towards Local Agenda 21
Nuno QuentalMargarida Silva
Escola Superior de BiotecnologiaGrupo de Estudos Ambientais
Objectives and methods
• evaluate portuguese local environmental policies
• questionnaire; each question with 3 options or an open answer
• 163 were received (53%)
• detailed questionnaire;• 20 were received
• report on the progress towards Local Agenda 21 (LA21) in Portugal;
• broadly characterize environmental processes such as LA21 and Municipal Environmental Plans (MEP).
Local Agenda 21: what is it?
• Chapter 28 of Agenda 21– “Through consultation and
consensus-building, local authorities would learn from citizens and from local, civic, community, business and industrial organizations and acquire the information needed for formulating the best strategies. (…) Local authority programmes, policies, laws and regulations to achieve Agenda 21 objectives would be assessed and modified, based on local programmes adopted.”
Waste and transportation
Municipal waste management
13%
74%
12%1%
Selective collectioncovers almost allmunicipality, being doneon a door-by-door basisin some urbanagglomeratesSelective collectioncovers already a part ofmunicipality; recycling isincreasing
Selective collection isreduced or non-existent;low recycling rates
No answer
Transportation
8%
23%
51%
18%
Public transportation isactively promoted
Public transports couldbe more frequent andtimely
Public transports arerare and seldom timelybecause of municipalityparticularities
No answer
Urban planning and education
Urban planning
34%
50%
7%
9%
PDM is carefullyprepared according toenvironmental and urbanconcerns overlappingprivate interestsThere is a trade-offbetween urban grow anddevelopment and PDM
PDM tends to fulfil theinterests of propertyowners and investors
No answer
Environmental education
24%
69%
5% 2% Several activities aresupported and carriedout
Some awarenesscampaigns aresupported
Environmentaleducation activities arerare or non-existent
No answer
Public participation and information
Access to information
78%
21%
1%
Information is readilygranted to allinterested citizens
Information is grantedaccording to law, but ittends to be a slowprocess
Access toadministrativedocuments is limited;information requestsare often ignored ordeniedNo answer
Public participation
28%
67%
4%
1%
It's actively promotedtrough debates,questionnaires, etc.
Participation issomehow stimulated
Little effort is put inpublic participation
No answer
Local Agenda 21
Do you know what is LA21?
Yes82%
No17%
No answer1%
Do you think it could be useful to develop a LA21 in your municipality?
Yes91%
No4%
No answer5%
Do you intent to start a LA21 in your current mandate?
Yes68%
No14%
No answer18%
Municipal Environmental Processes
• About one in ten municipalities is carrying out a MEP (results: 12% of respondents)
Typology of ongoing processes
Local Agenda 215%
Municipal Environmental
Plan80%
Other15%
Beginning date
3
9
8
Before 1998 Between 1999 and 2001 After 2002
Articulation with other policies
Articulation with other municipal policies
70%
30%
Involve all municipalintervention areas
Limited toenvironmental issues
Which measures were taken to ensure the articulation with other municipal policies?
35%
25%
20%
15%
100%
All councillors and municipal deputies are informed about thedevelopment of the process
At least one municipal staffperson has had training inenvironment/sustainable development issues
All departments are involved in the process
All departments are informed about the development of theprocess
No answer
State of process implementation
Beginners
Intermediate
Pioneers
Focus Lab, 2002. Local Agenda 21 in Italy 2002: survey on Local Agenda 21 processes implementation in Italy, Focus Lab, Modena.
State of process implementation
25%
50%
80%
15%
15%
40%
20%
100%
10%
Phase 7: Monitoring
Phase 6: Action Plan implementation
Phase 5: Action Plan definition
Phase 4: Problem analysis
Phase 3: Participation Forum
Phases 1 and 2: Activation and organization
Done
To be done
State of process implementation
State of process implementation by kind of process
1
2
1
9 5
2Other
EMP
LA21
Beginner
Intermediate
Pioneer
Absolute number of processes are shown.
Organizational structures
Set up of a co-ordinating group
70%
15%
15%
Yes
To be done
Not foreseen
Development of partnerships with various stakeholders
30%
50%
20%
Yes
To be done
Not foreseen
Public participation
Methods used to stimulate public participation
20%
30%
30%
10%
45%
55%
Public debates
Questionnaires
Workshops
Contests and prizes
Information and awareness raising throughpress
No answer
Action plan scope
Action Plan scope
10%
20%
50%
20%
Environmental only
Environmental andsocial
Environmental, socialand economical
No answer
Action plan implementation
Action Plan implementation
10%
10%
30%
30%
20%
Probably it won't beimplemented
It will be reviewed beforeimplementation
Implementation will beginsoon
Implementation has startedrecently
Implementation has startedwith significant achievements
Implementation is almostcomplete
No answer
Conclusion
• In Portugal, LA21 is still in its very beginning
• The same can be said about public participation in local policies
• Probably, as long as LA21 is voluntary and there is no public pressure, a very slow evolution is to be expected.