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Climate Governance and Urban Policies
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Climate Governance and Urban Policies

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 8221

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Valentina Palermo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
European Commission Joint Research Centre, JRC, Ispra 21027, VA, Italy
Interests: sustainable spatial planning; urban governance; climate change mitigation; climate change adaptation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, climate change and sustainability have globally shaped the urban policies scene. The increasing role of cities in addressing the climate challenge by planning and implementing climate mitigation and adaptation actions at local level has been deeply transforming climate governance. The shift toward sustainable and climate urban strategies has initially shown cases of forerunning cities, which have adopted relatively new policies and practices in addressing climate change. The involvement of non-state actors and local governments has been leveraging climate actions with innovative attitudes and a concern on local specificities. Cities have frequently become the setting for experimental approaches in terms of urban governance, policies, and practices. Furthermore, cities start and support processes of peer to peer learning. Examples include transnational city networks (ICLEI, C40) and international initiatives (the Covenant of Mayors). However, although cities are engaged in effective climate actions towards decarbonization and resilience, there is an still urgent need to develop climate adaptation and mitigation strategies at local level.

This Special Issue aims at reflecting on sustainable spatial planning, innovative urban policies, climate governance, and their visible or implicit relations. We are looking for innovative submissions from various fields of knowledge that focus on the integration of adaptation and mitigation in urban policies, case studies of cities experimenting local approaches, innovative planning processes, stakeholder engagement, and multilevel governance.

Dr. Valentina Palermo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban policies
  • climate governance
  • sustainable urban planning
  • climate change mitigation
  • climate change adaptation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3290 KiB  
Article
Scenario Analysis of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions from Current Policies: A Case Study of Guangdong Province
by Junyao Wang and Anqi Liu
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8903; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14148903 - 20 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1360
Abstract
Regional carbon management is essential for China to achieve the carbon reduction target. Studying the emission peak time and volume for Guangdong Province, which is the largest economic province with rapid carbon growth, is important for developing regions to formulate low-carbon policies. In [...] Read more.
Regional carbon management is essential for China to achieve the carbon reduction target. Studying the emission peak time and volume for Guangdong Province, which is the largest economic province with rapid carbon growth, is important for developing regions to formulate low-carbon policies. In this study, an end-use energy-based emission model integrating the guidelines for provincial CO2 emission peaking action plans and updated policies was developed to study the regional energy-related peaking time and emission scale. Taking Guangdong as a case, multiple scenarios were designed and analyzed considering factors of economic development, energy intensity, and structure. The results show that the energy-related CO2 cannot reach its peak by 2030 without control, even under low economic growth scenarios. Specifically, under high economic growth scenarios, the carbon peak can only be addressed by 2030 at around 0.65 Gt in the context of a strong transformation in energy structure as well as improvement in energy efficiency. Under medium and low economic scenarios, energy-related CO2 emissions will reach a plateau before 2030 between 0.61 and 0.64 Gt by implementing the medium and strengthening optimization of energy structure. Thus, effective measures are necessary for Guangdong’s peak target in both energy efficiency improvement and energy structure optimization. At last, this study puts forward policy recommendations for the low-carbon pathway of Guangdong Province, which can provide an experience for other regions in understanding their carbon emission trajectories and help policymakers enact appropriate actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Governance and Urban Policies)
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31 pages, 2465 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Renewable Energy Policies through Decision Trees
by Dania Ortiz, Vera Migueis, Vitor Leal, Janelle Knox-Hayes and Jungwoo Chun
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7720; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137720 - 24 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1730
Abstract
This paper presents an alternative way of making predictions on the effectiveness and efficacy of Renewable Energy (RE) policies using Decision Trees (DT). As a data-driven process for decision-making, the analysis uses the Renewable Energy (RE) target achievement, predicting whether or not a [...] Read more.
This paper presents an alternative way of making predictions on the effectiveness and efficacy of Renewable Energy (RE) policies using Decision Trees (DT). As a data-driven process for decision-making, the analysis uses the Renewable Energy (RE) target achievement, predicting whether or not a RE target will likely be achieved (efficacy) and to what degree (effectiveness), depending on the different criteria, including geographical context, characterizing concerns, and policy characteristics. The results suggest different criteria that could help policymakers in designing policies with a higher propensity to achieve the desired goal. Using this tool, the policy decision-makers can better test/predict whether the target will be achieved and to what degree. The novelty in the present paper is the application of Machine Learning methods (through the Decision Trees) for energy policy analysis. Machine learning methodologies present an alternative way to pilot RE policies before spending lots of time, money, and other resources. We also find that using Machine Learning techniques underscores the importance of data availability. A general summary for policymakers has been included. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Governance and Urban Policies)
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23 pages, 4835 KiB  
Article
The Circularity of MSW in Urban Landscapes: An Evaluation Method for a Sustainable System Implementation
by Elvira Nicolini
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7358; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14127358 - 16 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1617
Abstract
The debate on the sustainable perspective of a circular economy and MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) management is no longer focused on the resolution of an emergency and on the pure technicality of creating efficient services. New light has been shed on the operational [...] Read more.
The debate on the sustainable perspective of a circular economy and MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) management is no longer focused on the resolution of an emergency and on the pure technicality of creating efficient services. New light has been shed on the operational phase, as often unresolvable technical-environmental issues during service management lead to a state of decay, affecting urban vulnerability and users’ involvement. The research aims to develop an auxiliary tool for public administrations in planning a zero-waste future whilst enhancing the urban landscape. This study considers the perspective of virtuous management of the resource flow cycle along with evaluating implementable theoretic models, operational scenarios, and technological tools that can be integrated into a specific built environment. The first phase consisted in the definition of the involved subjects and the evaluation criteria for the impact of the service management system. The second phase includes the definition of operational strategies for virtuous and sustainable management of resource flows, intended as opportunities for the regeneration and development of the local context. The result of this research work is the elaboration and experimentation of an information system for the evaluation of the integrability of operational scenarios with the systemic, quantitative, and qualitative elements that characterize an urban landscape. The selected actions and technologies have been assessed in terms of short-term feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and local efficacy. This research work shows that many urban contexts with efficient services have been conceived as ecosystems, integrated into the landscape, driven by the synergy of institutions and operators, capable of carrying out the entire cycle from waste production to the marketing of recycled products. Our analysis shows that this issue can be effectively tackled through varied and mixed solutions; by integrating strategies, techniques, and scenarios, and by stimulating citizens’ involvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Governance and Urban Policies)
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16 pages, 2095 KiB  
Article
Fostering Self-Protection against Impacts of Heavy Rain at the Municipal Level
by Jana Lorena Werg, Torsten Grothmann and Stefan Löchtefeld
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7019; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137019 - 22 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2203
Abstract
Local governments are highly relevant actors when it comes to mitigating climate change impacts such as flooding. Not only do they need to implement regulatory and infrastructural measures, but they also need to promote complementing self-protective measures at the household level. The individual [...] Read more.
Local governments are highly relevant actors when it comes to mitigating climate change impacts such as flooding. Not only do they need to implement regulatory and infrastructural measures, but they also need to promote complementing self-protective measures at the household level. The individual motivation of municipal actors to pursue climate adaptation can be important for the implementation of such measures, obviously alongside several other factors, such as financial and administrative issues. A questionnaire survey with a non-random sample of 77 local government actors from 15 of the 16 German federal states was conducted, focusing on potential key factors concerning the motivation to implement adaptation measures against hazardous impacts of heavy rain. Additionally, the perceived effectiveness and realizability of selected municipal structural measures and of activation measures promoting self-protective behavior were collected. It can be shown that the perceived realizability of adaptation measures as well as knowledge of risk and adaptation may be key factors in the motivation to implement both activation and structural measures, while motivation and implementation are only partially related. The results imply a need for the evaluation of activation measures and a need for further research on the motivation of municipal actors to implement activation measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Governance and Urban Policies)
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