Presentation by Cristina Martinez, Senior Policy Analyst, OECD LEED Programme. 2013 REPORT - Green growth in the Benelux - Indicators of local transition to a low-carbon economy in cross-border regions. The full report could be freely downloaded at http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/lowcarbon.htm

1. Green Growth in the
Benelux
Indicators of local transition to a low-carbon economy in
cross-border regions
Dr Cristina Martinez-Fernandez
CFE/LEED
Dr Samantha Sharpe
University Technology Sydney

2. For
more
informa+on,
see
www.oecd.org/
greengrowth
Towards green growth - Monitoring progress
OECD Measurement framework
2

3. For
more
informa+on,
see
www.oecd.org/
greengrowth
Towards green growth – why monitoring
progress at local level?
• Impacts of climate change will be variable at a local level;
• Impacts of policies to mitigate climate change will be
distributed differently across regions and localities:
v pricing carbon,
v switching to less carbon intensive energy supply and
production,
v appropriating the opportunities presented by a transition to a
low carbon economy (including the creation of both new
employment and industries).
• Impacts will be especially evident in local labour markets.
3

4. Total carbon equivalent emissions in the Benelux 1990-2010
Benelux transition to a LCE
4
0
50
100
150
200
250
Belgium
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Million
tonnes
CO2-­‐e
1990
2008
2009
2010
Source: European Environment Agency, 2012.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Belgium
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Tonnes
CO2-­‐e
per
capita
1990
2008
2009
2010
Per capita carbon emissions in the Benelux 1990-2010

5. For
more
informa+on,
see
www.oecd.org/
greengrowth
Policy Challenges & Recommendations
Providing consensus on cross-border indicators; what is measured, why
and how often, and how they are communicated.
Recommendation 1 – Establish a method by which cross-border stakeholders
can identify the main variables associated with transition and how these will be
measured, and build indicator development and measurement verification into
large public investment activities.
Defining suitable methodologies and metrics to assess green growth
Recommendation 2 - Ensure data collection provides flexibility to isolate local
sources of emissions.
Identifying and resourcing local institutions to collect and report on
indicators
Recommendation 3 - Identify and resource appropriate institution/s to collect
and report this data in a consistent format, which provides comparative
analysis on headline indicators at the local, national and international level.
5

6. For
more
informa+on,
see
www.oecd.org/
greengrowth
Policy Challenges & Recommendations (cont)
Maximising the transition impact of large projects and infrastructure
development
Recommendation 4 - Financially and logistically support data collection projects
that are devised and implemented by local stakeholders as a way to cement
the operation of cross-border governance.
Recommendation 5 - Develop processes that seek out and engage a full range
of local stakeholders, and which equip them to participate in the discussions
and projects. Not all stakeholders are equally able to participate in these
activities; recognising and providing resources for these participatory
processes increases the likelihood of ownership of the projects and outcomes.
Recommendation 6 – Develop and encourage cross-border groupings of public
and elected officials to provide input into large transition projects and thus
strengthen the capacity of the Benelux Union.
6

7. For
more
informa+on,
see
www.oecd.org/
greengrowth
Policy Challenges & Recommendations (cont)
Fostering knowledge creation and diffusion in the green economy
Recommendation 7 - Strengthen innovation capacity in the Benelux Union through
international co-operation in order to re-position new industrial ecologies and clusters
while addressing the challenges of green growth transition.
Recommendation 8 - Align qualification systems, accreditation and content across
borders. Green education and green entrepreneurship can provide a focus for skills
recognition and skills activities by the educational institutions in the Benelux. This focus
can be developed by provision of specific courses in TVET organisations and by offering
Masters and Certificate level courses in Universities and other educational institutions.
Local entrepreneurs, young and old, male and female should be encouraged to set-up
businesses through active and innovative financial mechanisms.
Supporting green industries and emerging markets
Recommendation 9 - Public procurement should be used to support and encourage new
‘green’ markets and should be encouraged by all levels of government and the Benelux
Union.
7

8. Policy Index for Benelux
8
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Policies for local government (e.g.
expenditure, policy documents,
support for renewable energy, carbon
neutrality etc)
Policies for universities (e.g.
expenditure for green purchasing,
energy efficiency measures, research
on green issues, waste recycling
policy etc)
Local initiatives for job creation
Support schemes for associations
Support schemes for social activities
The organization in which I work
(waste management, energy
efficiency, green procurement etc)
Municipal strategies
Children focused local activities
Elderly focused local activities
Ghent
Belval

9. Skills Ecosystem for Benelux
9
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Training and skills
upgrading provision by
universities and colleges
Industry-science
cooperation (projects
and students)
Inter-firm collaboration
in clean tech cluster
projects
Vocational education
and training projects
Support schemes/
incentives for cluster-
university collaboration
projects
Industry-cluster
activities and fundraising
Knowledge Intensive
Service Activities
(knowledge development
activities through
Trade Union training
schemes
Company investment in
training and skills
Ghent
Belval

10. Benelux Green Dashboards
10
!
!
Figure
1:
Ghent-­‐
Terneuzen
Green
Dashboard
Environmental
and
Resource
ProducCvity
Economic
OpportuniCes
!
!
Figure
2:
AlzeFe-­‐Belval
Green
Dashboard
Environmental
and
Resource
ProducCvity
Economic
OpportuniCes
!
!

11. • To download the full report, please visit the project web page at:
http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/lowcarbon.htm
• Clear space:
https://community.oecd.org/community/lowcarboneconomy
• OECD dedicated site to greening jobs and skills
www.oecd.org/greengrowth/skills
Project Resources
11