SECTOR REC Working Definitions

Environmental civil society The REC has made a conscious effort to support the development of environmental civil society and the institutions therein. In 1999, while the REC was helping to develop the Regional Environmental Reconstruction Programme for South Eastern Europe (REReP), a group of REC staff elaborated a general view of civil society in the following way: “The REC understands civil society as a particular set of values and activities stemming from the rights of individuals to express themselves and associate with others. This implies the responsibility of individuals to uphold these values. Civil society may be manifested in the form of voluntary associations, non-governmental organisations, independent interest groups, etc. As such, civil society constitutes a part of society that complements government and business to maximise public welfare.” On a pragmatic support level, this framework programme targets: “environmental civil society as being identified by the activities of individuals and civil society organisations whose purposes relate to the promotion of environmental protection and the sustainable use of natural resources.” This general definition will be utilised further as a basis for the target group of organisations supported by this programme (see definition below). Environmental civil society organisations An organisation defined as officially registered or an otherwise clearly identifiable group of citizens or other public association that: does not act as an official governmental body; is a not-for-profit entity (i.e. non-commercial); functions at the local, regional, national and/or international level; has a main purpose related to the promotion of one or more of the following: – protection and conservation of the environment; – the sustainable use of natural resources and renewables; – traditional cultural values and knowledge leading to a decrease in society’s environmental impact; – environmentally friendly development, policies and projects; – governance principles leading to the creation of an enabling environment for environmental protection and sustainable development (e.g. anti-corruption measures, transparency, accountability, and public participation). has a presence in public life, outside of family structures, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, or philanthropic considerations; and is based in the following territories of South Eastern Europe (SEE): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, or Serbia, including Kosovo (currently under UN interim administration). Sustainable development in SEE Sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Our Common Future, 1987) South Eastern Europe is a region in transition, and work still needs to be done to meet the needs of the present generation, including access to quality food, safe and secure water supplies, personal safety, access to health and education, and a stable supply of natural resources. Development in the region, supported by relative stability and assistance from donors, affords opportunities to meet these needs, but can follow different paths. Conventional development, when non-economic development is considered at all, too often focuses on meeting citizens' needs without considering the longer-term consequences. More sustainable development strives to meet these needs by finding innovative solutions to challenges that do not place stress on the natural and human environments beyond their carrying capacities; emphasis is placed on improving the quality of life of all, with relative social equity. The post-conflict territory of SEE, rich in natural resources and with a high level of biodiversity, is divided among countries with very different levels of development and quality of economic growth. Croatia and Montenegro are building up their tourist industries and see environmental protection and sustainable tourism as an important and integral part of this. Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia are trying to revitalise their industry and attract foreign investors. The drivers for sustainable development may be divided into internal and external: Internal: The need to harmonise economic growth with the increasing pressures on the environment; Growth of the civil society sector dealing with sustainable development as a core issue; Increased public pressure due to raised public awareness and conciseness connected to more open access to information, public participation and access to justice. External: EU accession process and its requirements in sustainable development policy formulation and implementation; Tourist industry and increasing demand on protected nature and clean environment; Support of international institutions and donors. Urban sustainability The majority of the world’s population will soon reside in cities, resulting in local and global impacts on environment, health, economies, culture and technology. This trend of urbanisation is also present in countries of South East Europe. However, the field of urban system science crosses many disciplines and many scales. To examine urban sustainability requires a new way of thinking about systems and communities. Urban Sustainabilty would require access of people to basic services - including adequate shelter, water and food, and health and education services - as well as mutually beneficial relationships with vibrant hinterlands and a healthy environment that is able to provide resources and absorb waste. Cities can never really be sustainable on their own, as they rely on external territories and the greater environment to provide resources and absorb their waste. A city can, however, have a mutually-beneficial relationship with the world beyond it by respecting the limitations of the resources it can provide and the capacity it has to absorb waste, and by sharing the innovations and social and economic progress it cultures. Such a relationship is fostered when city-hinterland connections are strengthened; this happens when, for example, farmers and urban consumers interact and are aware of each other's situations and needs. It also requires minimising dependency by, for example, using resources such as water efficiently and limiting pollution by, for example, discouraging private car usage. The way cities are designed, the products its residents are encouraged to have and the way resources are distributed all increase or decrease its ability to limit resource use and waste production. For the purpose of the project we will rely on the definition set forth by Hardoy, Mitlin and Satterthwaite (1992): “that [urban sustainability] should be defined to include the minimisation of the use of non-renewable resources, the achievement of the sustainable use of renewable resources, staying within the absorptive capacity of local and global waste-absorption limits and meeting basic human needs.” Some of the main problems related to Urban Sustainability in SEE Land use and urban planning Although they have a relatively well developed legislative frameworks for land use and land use planning, SEE cities suffer from weak implementation and problematic law enforcement. These shortcomings often allow developers to initiate projects that endanger green zones of the cities, destroy cultural heritage, or limit the mobility of citizens (e.g. pedestrian zones). Non-transparent management of public assets (privatisation or selling of real properties) in connection with corruption can create an enabling milieu for environmentally problematic projects. Municipalities often lack the expertise needed for good urban planning and lack a holistic view of the urban development problems. This is visible especially in urban transport, where pedestrian zones often lack connections, bicycle paths are virtually non-existent and individual car traffic is preferred. Public transport (relatively well-developed in the past) is decreasing, partly due to a lack of resources, partly because municipalities (but also the public) are not able to see all the benefits of this mode of transport and the negative externalities of car traffic. Transport and its related impacts Cities in SEE face a steadily increasing number of automobiles in use (absolute, per capita) with implications for materials consumption and related pollution. Air quality, especially urban areas, congestion and mobility/access are growing problems for cities. In addition to urban planning and the collapse of public transport, it is the age and technical standards of cars and petrol quality which contribute to the deterioration of air quality. A stronger legislative framework on car emissions standards, and a ban on leaded petrol could be the first steps towards improvement. Promotion of public transport is the key issue, but it should be done in conjunction with urban traffic plans. Energy and climate change Energy production and energy efficiency in cities is a latent problem. In the formerly centrally planned economies, the real price of energy was distorted and energy efficiency was rarely a criterion in the construction of public premises and housing. The buildings are usually not well insulated; heat losses are up to 30 percent in the winter season. Increasing prices of energy push especially the poor to search for alternative sources of energy. Home combustion of charcoal, timber and waste is widespread in the poorest suburban areas. Waste management Growing waste generation resulting from new production and consumption patterns, together with missing legislation and programmes for waste reuse/recycling, is a reality in SEE cities. The municipalities lack expertise in the development of waste management plans, which would build on alternative approaches to the problem instead of simple waste collection and land filling.

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