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.