Climate Change and Synchronization of Local and National Policies

Climate Change and Synchronization of Local and National Policies

By
Muhammad Anees

To
Department of Economics
Central European University

For
Ph.D. Positions in Economics (Environment, Governance and Climate Change)

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 Climate Change and Synchronization of Local and National Policies

Introduction

Over the past couple of decades, intensive research has emerged assessing the climate change
policies and energy efficiency strategies from across the world in general and also from within
the Switzerland, Germany, France, UK and many other EU member states. The studies have
covered diverse range of issues and various important conclusions have been drawn inferring on
different policy measures. Sets of policies are identified that result in improving the climate
condition, bringing energy efficiency in the public and private sectors and lessening the
emissions levels of Greenhouse Gases like CO2. The studies have also evaluated the role of
governance systems across urban locations in the UK to determine the role of governance in
achieving the targets set out for climate changes and reduction in emission levels. There is still a
missing connection between the description of the causal for differential in effects in policies
across locations and raises questions over the differences in relative effectiveness of similar
strategies across local and national plans. Hence an attempt to evaluate the options for bringing
synchronization into the regional policy frameworks would benefit both in creating a new
dimension for thinking and a base of policy development which can help the governments and
policy makers to base their long-term vision of bringing the desired climate change and GHG
emissions down to the desired targets. This study will explore the key point of assessing the
similarities and differences in policy options, evaluating the relative effectiveness of different
policy frameworks to develop a more harmonized policy framework for urban planning across
Switzerland, Germany, France, UK and many other EU member states to result in high levels of
energy efficiency both at public and private buildings and leading to achieve the global targets of
reduction in emission levels of GHG

Literature review

Also, climate change and related issues is the most debated subjects of interest over the couple of
years, recent research emphasizing the investigation of climate change, urban planning, and
energy efficiency and targeting the GHG emissions. Tol (2013) reviewed the climate change and
policy options and finds that it is among the policies which needs more attention irrespective of

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the fact the current political leadership does not have stringent emphasis on the issue against
other social and economic factors which might need restructuring of the whole systems. On the
other hands, Tol (2013) evaluated economic effects of the climate change policies. This indicates
a serious concern for the policy development when due attention is not given both at the national
and local levels because it can devastate conditions at either level when the policies are not
synchronized at the two levels.
Brotoa (2013) indicates that experiments across different locations indicates no main predictors
particularly related to economic or social conditions while the results is still highly significant
and clearly visible. The experiments focused on energy while the theme of research surrounded
the climate change governance which indicated that municipal governments have a key role in
the climate change policies. Similarly, the subject of interest in the study of Bulkeleya and
Betsillb (2013) is also governance which argue that urban governance and related politics has a
key role in the determination of the change, although the change is not uniform across the local
areas. Rather, the interrelations were composed of important global, national or local factors. It
was concluded that the urban governance systems developed these strategic relationships
between policy measures and climate change outcomes where it emphasizes on the development
of a new governance frameworks for urban planning related to climate change to result in more
effective ecosystems management.
Wende et al. (2012) conducted a study emphasizing the effectiveness of efforts at national and
regional level and found that Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of land use planning
failed in the selected regions from Germany and the UK based on the selected criteria at scales
larger than the spatial plan as it did not consider the emission of CO2 while Minx et al (2013)
define that CO2 emission is more intensive at urban areas due several factors related human
settlement which can be affected by urban planning. The application of SEA also concluded that
regional and city level efforts will be more effective against the national level following the SEA
directives to devolve the global climate change targets. Hence it evidences that regional efforts if
synchronized at policy levels after consideration for the similarities and differences, an effective
framework can be established with more realistic target performance, not at the national but also
at the global levels. While, Aggarwal (2013) found that proactive planning at the city level
defined various objectives in the short term and long term. The plans consider raising level of

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competitiveness, to engage in facilitating the image-building, to furnish and garner the support
for pet projects and increase the availability and access to alternative sources of funding.
Although, the effectiveness of the long term goals can be made more effective, but the short-term
perspective of the planning is related to the limited mechanisms for people's engagement. The
short term perspective of the planning capacity targets the related economic and social
weaknesses or desirable transformative shifts in the development.
In a nationwide study by Heidrich et al. (2013) conducted an analysis of data from 30 major
cities in the UK comprising about 28% of the national population. The study identified an Urban
Climate Change Preparedness Score can be applied to cities outside the UK for a comparative
study using quantifiable information. The study identified that the climate change has been
considered a threat across areas and that adaptation and mitigation strategies are required.
Incentives and regulations are considered some of the key reasons for having a differential
effects for the adaptation and mitigation policies where mitigation policies were found more
advanced than adaptation policies. It indicates that a comprehensive study of global planning at
different city levels are conducted where various important considerations are identified helping
in more effective planning for achieving the global target of GHG emission and energy
efficiency results.
Gomez-Baggethun and Barton (2013) studied the evaluation of city planning and related issues
and making a connection between the planning and climate change. They deduce that conserving
and restoring services associated to the ecosystems in the urban areas can reduce the ecological
footprints and debt of the cities while leading to resilience, health and other economic benefits
including quality of life of the locals. The key consideration include categorization, valuation of
economic costs and other social and cultural values, and identification of challenges for the
evaluation of urban planning due to higher heterogeneous and fragmented urban ecosystems. The
study is one of the key to identify key differences and similarities at national and international
urban planning systems and their connectivity with the climate change policies and therefore
developing the structure. Also, urban planning and ecosystem relationship can help to determine
the flood risks as identified by the Wilby and Keenan (2012) leading us to develop more
effective disaster prediction, controlling, and mitigation strategies at a wider level though the
study indicate that climate change measures include building designs, resistance and resilience of

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the existing infrastructure, operating rules, control and forecasting at temporary and permanent
retreat from hazardous areas, analysis and management.

Research Question

Why there is no coherence in planning across cities and urban places within a country when the
authorities do recognize the planning effectiveness can lead to more realization of the results can
further be improved if local level strategies are more synchronized to the national level policies.
Is this strategic differential equal across countries and will the reduction in differential lead to a
positive contribution towards the achievement of climate change targets?

Hypotheses

In order to develop a complete solution to the main research questions, following hypotheses will
be tested in the detailed investigation both theoretically and empirically.

1. Is there any similarity or differentials in policies across cities within the Switzerland,
Germany, France, UK and many other EU member states itself and across the world?
2. Are specific differentials in policy measures across cities a major cause of the failure to
achieve the climate change targets?
3. Is the failure to achieve the climate change targets related to energy efficiency, failure to
predict natural disasters like floods and less than expected contribution towards the global
emissions of GHG?
4. Is synchronization of local and national policies a significant predictor of the climate
change and meets the desired targets more efficiently?

Research Objectives

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 Climate Change and Synchronization of Local and National Policies

The main purpose of the current research include identifying the key similarities and differences
in local level policies within the Switzerland, Germany, France, UK and many other EU member
states national domain and relating these policies for global comparison to key economies and
climate change player countries. The second goal is thus to assess the relative impact of these
differentials on the success and failure to achieve the national and global targets set out related to
climate change, planning for the energy efficiency in public and private buildings, meeting the
global standards of GHG emissions and forecasting and predicting the natural disasters like
floods etc. Third purpose of the study is to find out the key concepts enabling us to synchronize
the national and local level policies and therefore making a strong connections between national
policies across countries which can be considered more effective than currently adopted policies.

Methodologies

The current research will follow a mixed approach mainly based on quantitative methods in the
field of Econometrics and Multivariate Statistics and evidences will be drawn from analysis of
the public policies mainly related to field of climate change. It will also shed light on issues in
the area of energy efficiency and develop insights on the forecasting of natural disasters and
suggest ways for effective management of the policies. The primary goal of the study is set out
the find out the differentials across policy measures and meeting the targets; therefore we will
use a multilevel and mixed methodology as we assume the statistical information will be at the
national and within countries at local levels and extending the approach to find the differential
both at the national and local levels. The second method will be based on the multiple regression
and decomposition of the results into related and differential effects across countries and
therefore at local levels which is primarily useful when employing the multilevel and mixed type
of statistical data. Lastly, the data will be panel data so we can use some specific panel data
methods like fixed effects, random effects and dynamic panel data methods including
generalized methods of moments when extended to the multilevel and mixed structure of the
available data.
Data will be collected from secondary sources including the local and national level departments
within the Switzerland, Germany, France, UK and many other EU member states and United

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 Climate Change and Synchronization of Local and National Policies

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) member economies having

strong experience in following globally recognized policies and effectiveness. Main sources of
data include Department of Energy & Climate Change, Department for Communities and Local
Government, Office of National Statistics within the UK and therefore similar other sources from
different countries. Also of importance is the data provider on climate change, Ministries of local
governments and Environment of the member countries of UNFCCC and United Nations
Environment Program.

Outcomes and Contribution

They study will provide key conclusions related to the understanding of main differences across
national level policies over the globe and key differences within the local planning for climate
change within countries like the Switzerland, Germany, France, UK and many other EU member
states. These findings will help in identifying the sound measures to be taken towards making the
policies further effective to achieve the global targets related to climate change, energy efficiency
and disasters management. The study will provide a key solution towards creating a more
synchronized policies towards better ecosystems in the world and make the world Green for the
inhabitants. The findings will be helping in filling the key gaps in identification of differentials
and similarities and their sensitivities for the climate change policy differentials across the world.

Planning of the study

The study will following the plan as set out for the proposed PhD from the University of Sussex.
During the first year, I will develop a key structure and write a detailed proposal within the
guidance of the supervisory team and following the regulations of the department of Economics.
During the first year, the development of the proposal will lead a key publications on based on
review of literature and empirical evaluation of the differentials in policies across cities planning
systems within the Switzerland, Germany, France, UK and many other EU member states.

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 Climate Change and Synchronization of Local and National Policies

The second year of the PhD will be specific to accomplish a full literature review, collection of
all the relevant local, national and global statistical data from specified sources and analysis of
the data employing the advanced econometric and statistical methods. Within the second year,
high ranked research publication in form of couple of journal articles and present the findings in
conferences and policy workshops adding to the reputation of the departments ranking.
In the expectedly last year, I will compile everything into the final write up of my complete
thesis and it will be submitted well in time for the review of the supervisory team and final
defense. It is expected that during the first half of the third year, I will complete another
publishable article from within the main theme of the thesis.

References

[1].Aggarwal, RM., (2013), Strategic Bundling of Development Policies with Adaptation: An

Examination of Delhi's Climate Change Action Plan, International Journal of Urban and
Regional Research, 37(6), pp. 19021915.
[2].Gomez-Baggethus, E. & Barton, D.N, (2013), Classifying and valuing ecosystem
services for urban planning, Ecological Economics, 86. pp. 235245.
[3].Heidrich, O., Dawson, RJ., Reckien, D., & Walsh, CL., (2013), Assessment of the climate
preparedness of 30 urban areas in the UK, Climatic Change, 120(4), pp. 771-784.
[4].Minx, J., Baiocchi, G., Wiedmann, T., Barrett, J., Creutzig, F., Feng, K., Frster, M.,
Pichler., PP., Helga Weisz, H., & Hubacek, K., (2013), Carbon footprints of cities and
other human settlements in the UK, Environmental Research Letters, 8(3) accessed
January 02, 2013, Available at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/3/035039
[5].Tol, R., (2013) The economic impact of climate change in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Climatic Change, 117 (4). pp. 795-808.
[6].Tol, R., (2013), Targets for global climate policy: an overview. Journal of Economic
Dynamics and Control, 37 (5). pp. 911-928.
[7].Wendea, W., Bondc, A., Bobylevd, N., Stratmannb, L., (), Climate change mitigation and
adaptation in strategic environmental assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment
Review, 32(1), pp. 8893.
[8]. Wilby, R. L., & Keenan, R., (2012), Adapting to flood risk under climate change,
Physical Geography, 36(3). pp. 348-378.