SUMMARY
PUBLIC GOVERNANCE
PROF. DR. JORIS VOETS
UNIVERSITEIT GENT
,1. SUSTAINABILITY?
1. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SD): REACHING THE LIMITS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH?
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
1.1. 1992: RIO
In 1992 there was a conference in Rio, called the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED). The Climate Treaty was signed. Also, there was an Action Programme for the
21st century (Agenda 21), this was later translated locally to Local Agenda 21.
1.2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SD): SPREADING GRADUALLY
Sustainable development becomes a known concept. The mission is getting people to think global,
act global and focusing on consumption that does not surpass the globes capacity.
1.3. LOCAL AGENDA 21
“As the level of governance closest to the people, [local authorities] play a vital role in educating,
mobilizing and responding to the public to promote sustainable development”.
Around +/- 6500 cities and municipalities are committed to a Local Agenda. Only 1500 to 2000 of
them effectively developed such a programme. In Europe are mainly Spanish, Portuguese and Italian
local goverments with an agenda. In Belgium have around 160 local governments a Local Agenda 21.
The Local Agenda 21 is about new policy instruments (e.g. sustainability officials). But often people
are interlinking sustainability with international development aid. This means that investing and helping
people in other countries is linked to sustainability.
In practice, for the Flemish case, sustainability is:
§ Often not very powerful leadership (strong mayor/politicians)
§ Often rather limited (e.g. getting fair trade products in the public offices)
§ E.g. 2013: environmental covenants between Flemish government and local governments. 25
million euro goes to … sewage systems and environmental enforcement which leads to
sustainability officials risk losing their job as funding shifts.
1.4. SUSTAINABILITY AS A CONCEPT
Sustainability has not a single meaning, it is the outcome of societal dialogue. But sustainability allows
for a joint definition on particular contexts, creating ownerships, and part of the dynamic of transitions
(collectively shared visions). So, it allows a local government to translate sustainable development in
their context.
1.5. UN GOALS & SDG’S
1
, Between the year 2000 and 2015, there were 8 Millennium goals. These goals
had their focus on inequality and a perspective of aid from first to third world.
Between 2015 and 2030, there are the 17 Sustainable development goals.
These 17 goals have their focus on inequality and the environment/climate
and also the first world needs to do its part.
1.6. PRO’S AND CON’S
PRO’S
§ First global and shared framework for (dialoging about) sustainable development
§ Stronger from the bottom up than the Millennium Goals
CON’S
§ Linear top-down management
§ Leave not target behind: everything is a priority?
§ Interactions
1.7. CONNECTING AGENDA’S
UN agenda 2030 = Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
But what about the EU, urban government, …? It is not only about the UN. Every organization will
have their agenda for sustainability, not just the UN. More linkages, such as: Paris Agreement, UN
Habitat III New Urban Agenda, Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU), ….
The Urban Development Agenda has 12 priority themes:
2
PUBLIC GOVERNANCE
PROF. DR. JORIS VOETS
UNIVERSITEIT GENT
,1. SUSTAINABILITY?
1. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SD): REACHING THE LIMITS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH?
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
1.1. 1992: RIO
In 1992 there was a conference in Rio, called the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED). The Climate Treaty was signed. Also, there was an Action Programme for the
21st century (Agenda 21), this was later translated locally to Local Agenda 21.
1.2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SD): SPREADING GRADUALLY
Sustainable development becomes a known concept. The mission is getting people to think global,
act global and focusing on consumption that does not surpass the globes capacity.
1.3. LOCAL AGENDA 21
“As the level of governance closest to the people, [local authorities] play a vital role in educating,
mobilizing and responding to the public to promote sustainable development”.
Around +/- 6500 cities and municipalities are committed to a Local Agenda. Only 1500 to 2000 of
them effectively developed such a programme. In Europe are mainly Spanish, Portuguese and Italian
local goverments with an agenda. In Belgium have around 160 local governments a Local Agenda 21.
The Local Agenda 21 is about new policy instruments (e.g. sustainability officials). But often people
are interlinking sustainability with international development aid. This means that investing and helping
people in other countries is linked to sustainability.
In practice, for the Flemish case, sustainability is:
§ Often not very powerful leadership (strong mayor/politicians)
§ Often rather limited (e.g. getting fair trade products in the public offices)
§ E.g. 2013: environmental covenants between Flemish government and local governments. 25
million euro goes to … sewage systems and environmental enforcement which leads to
sustainability officials risk losing their job as funding shifts.
1.4. SUSTAINABILITY AS A CONCEPT
Sustainability has not a single meaning, it is the outcome of societal dialogue. But sustainability allows
for a joint definition on particular contexts, creating ownerships, and part of the dynamic of transitions
(collectively shared visions). So, it allows a local government to translate sustainable development in
their context.
1.5. UN GOALS & SDG’S
1
, Between the year 2000 and 2015, there were 8 Millennium goals. These goals
had their focus on inequality and a perspective of aid from first to third world.
Between 2015 and 2030, there are the 17 Sustainable development goals.
These 17 goals have their focus on inequality and the environment/climate
and also the first world needs to do its part.
1.6. PRO’S AND CON’S
PRO’S
§ First global and shared framework for (dialoging about) sustainable development
§ Stronger from the bottom up than the Millennium Goals
CON’S
§ Linear top-down management
§ Leave not target behind: everything is a priority?
§ Interactions
1.7. CONNECTING AGENDA’S
UN agenda 2030 = Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
But what about the EU, urban government, …? It is not only about the UN. Every organization will
have their agenda for sustainability, not just the UN. More linkages, such as: Paris Agreement, UN
Habitat III New Urban Agenda, Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU), ….
The Urban Development Agenda has 12 priority themes:
2
