Factors Influencing the Beginning of Municipal Government Policy towards Climate Protection

Panel: Panel 5: Energy Policy for a Sustainable Environment

Authors:
Willi Herbert, Forschungsgesellschaft für umweltschonende Energieumwandlung und -nutzung mbH
Katja Barzantny, Forschungsgesellschaft für umweltschonende Energieumwandlung und -nutzung mbH

Abstract

Studies undertaken in cities already engaged in an active CO2-reduction policy showed that local energy policy can be decisive in resolving environmental problems in the industrialised countries. On the other side the vast majority of cities is not pursuing a CO2-reduction policy until today. We therefore thought it might be interesting to do research not on a city already executing an active climate protection policy but on a city not yet executing such a pohcy but considering first steps. At the time of our analysis the city of Liibeck was at the beginnmg of an active municipal ƒ government policy towards climate protection undertaking first organisational steps inside and outside the city administration and making declarations to shape the future direction of a policy that aims for sustainability and CO2- reduction. This process was evaluated ex-post mainly with the help of intensive oral surveys. The analysis concentrated on the administrative structures including the municipal works; the local political power structure; the motives and subjective goals of central actors of the administration, city works and city parliament; the influence of external actors and relevant utilities and their specific goals. The results can be divided into pure facts and analytical factors. The factors can have a supporting or hindering effect with regard to the establishment of an action oriented municipal climateprotection policy. The main obstacles we discovered include a lack of public attention and political consensus, an imbalance between professional competence and organizational responsibility inside the administration and the existence of adverse economic interests of a nation-wide operating wholesale company in the local area.