Presentation by Prof. Dr. Hans Bruyninckx, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium. 2013 REPORT - Green growth in the Benelux - Indicators of local transition to a low-carbon economy in cross-border regions. The full report could be freely downloaded at http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/lowcarbon.htm

1. Prof. Dr. Hans Bruyninckx (Catholic University Leuven)
Brussels, May 2013
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2. 1. Transboundary cooperation and the low
carbon economy (LCE)
 Local and regional dynamics essential in LCE strategies
 Level at which LCE policies are concretised, implemented
and financed
 Cluster-approaches to industrial (eco-)innovation
 Often linked to local dynamics (e.g. carbon neutral urban or
regional development strategies)
 Local dynamics often have transboundary characteristics
 Economic clusters are often transboundary (e.g. harbor
regions; metropolitan networks; …)
 Often supported by policy instruments and strategies (e.g.
EU funding for transboundary development)
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3. 2. Local cases: never in ‘isolation’
 Framework: (sub)national and European policies on
 Industrial policy
 Eco-innovation
 GHG emissions reductions
 Related R&D policies
 New dynamics on local LCE
 Covenant of Mayors
 EU attention
 OECD attention
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4. 3. Euregion Scheldemond
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5. Bio-base technology as basis for
reconversion and green growth
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6. Industrial Profile
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Organisational Structure Bio Base Europe
- Port of Ghent
- Education opportunities: “close the critical
gap between scientific feasibility and
industrial application of new biobased
products and processes”
- Train employees for biobased green jobs
- City of Terneuzen
- Education, networking, technological innovation and
exhibiting
“Smart Links”: cooperation
among biobased companies

7. 4. Multi-level Policy Initiatives
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Belgium
Flemish
Region
Province of
Eastern-
Flanders
City of
Ghent
The
Netherlands
Province of
Zeeland
City of
Terneuzen
Surprisingly many efforts already
at the regional and local level
but…
considering the indicators of local
transition to a low-carbon economy:
- No cross-border cooperation yet
- No systematic measurement yet
-Yet need for indicators:
- How are we doing? Policy
performance
- Legitimacy ?

8. 5. Reflections on the use of local LC-indicators
A number of enduring problems of data-gathering
- ‘region’ does not coincide with any data gathering ‘institution’
- Transboundary characteristics complicate this
- Data availability; consistency; comparability; …
- Longitudinal nature of LCE/S transition
Result: hardly any of the indicators are used at this moment
Yet, … many indicator processes are running at the local level
- labor-, capacity-, time-intensive
- Little coherence, compatibility at the level of Belgium/Flanders
- Little structured ‘learning’
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9. 6. Emerging Policy Messages
 Challenges for data gathering remain strong
 Yet, … many indicator processes are running at the
local level
 Two steps approach: the core (eg: GHG emissions of the
region; Carbon intensity of the economy of the region; carbon
intensity of employment) and the complementary
adjusted local set
 Specific process approach for crossborder areas
 Opportunities for for exchange, learning,
methodological and policy development!
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10. 7. Role for RIOs (Benelux)
 LCE and Green Growth
 Relevance for specific region?
 Part of core political/policy attention?
 How to integrate in working program?
 Indicator development and use
 Specific competences in cross-border cooperation: how to
use this for indicator processes?
 Setting the stage for other cross-border areas of high
significance for LC-future
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