Presentation by Ariane König, Head of Sustainability and Senior Researcher, University of Luxemburg. . 2013 REPORT - Green growth in the Benelux - Indicators of local transition to a low-carbon economy in cross-border regions.

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Indicators of local transition to a low carbon economy:
the cross-border area of Alzette-Belval
Ariane König, Ph.D.
Head of Sustainability and Senior Researcher
All data on the area provided by PRO-SUD - Isabelle Renoir

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3. Outline of this presentation
Focus on area-specific strategies towards a low carbon economy:
1. Overcomming strong ties to the declining steel industry
2. Curbing local adverse impacts from Luxembourg’s growth
3. Cross border collaboration
Conclusions on indicators for local transition
(Shared context of overarching EU and national policies with Scheldemond case –
will not be addressed here – see report)

4. 1. Overcomming ties to the steel industry
Key strategies:
• Regenerate local eco-systems (carbon sequestration)
• Promote eco-technologies
• Create a ‘Cité des Sciences’ - new standards for urban development
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5. Regeneration of ‘the Minette’
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• Development of woodland and Natura 2000 reserves on old mining land
• Attention to high recreational value for environmental health and well-being.

6. National plan for environmental technologies
• 1 of 4 priority sectors of
economic development
• Creation of ‘eco-dev’
innovation cluster in 2009
• Construction and energy
are key sub-sectors.
• The South and Esch-
Belval are target-areas
with inclubators
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40 eco-tech firms in the South
Just over 1/3 in Alzette-Belval

8. Esch-Belval with a Cité des Sciences
DGNB Gold Pre-Certificate for mixed-use urban area
12.09.2011-AK
8
DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen) GOLD pre-certificate
in the category “urban area of mixed use”among 13 intl. projects evaluated.
6 areas of evaluation – 49 criteria

9. 2. Curbing local impacts of Luxembourg’s
successful economic development
• Highest demographic growth in the EU (12,8% between 2001 and
2009 – total 502 000 inhabitants)
• Daily over 160 000 cross-border commuters come to work in
Luxembourg
Emissions: 12 million tonnes CO2 equivalents in 2010
• Over 50% from vehicle fuel combustion (14% from residents)
• An estimated >20% from energy-use in the built-environment
CO2 emissions in Alzette-Belval – commuting traffic, built environment
Large single CO2 emmission sources :
• Arcelor Mittal’s steel production plant (over 3.6 M tons a year)
• The TwinErg Gas combustion electricity and district heating
generation plant in Schifflange
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Cross-border worker flows in the Greater Region
Source:
Becker and Hesse, 2010
Over 50% of ‘transfrontaliers’
cross the Alzette-Belval area

11. Cross-border governance instruments
1986: The Benelux Convention on transfrontier cooperation based on
1944 Benelux Union, initially mainly a customs union.
1971: The Greater Region: Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Lorraine,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Wallonia.
2011: The European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation Alzette-Belval
• Legal basis: Regulation EC No. 1082/2006 OJ L210/19 31.7.2006
• Scope: Sustainable development of the region
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12. EGTC –the advantage:
Collaboration across all governance levels
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State
Region: Lorraine
Departments: Moselle,
Meurthe et Moselle
Municipalities: CCPHVA*
State
Municipalities: Esch,
Sanem, Schifflange,
Mndercange
France Luxembourg

13. Recommendations on indicators I:
Two indicator sets for assessment at two levels
1. International benchmarking of low carbon transition:
OECD set for Environmental and resource productivity – workable.
Recommendations:
- replace ‘treatment of contaminated land’ with ‘green space’ as a measure
of local CO2 sequestration
- area-based mapping of carbon flows (and stocks) recommended to assess
reality of transition and impact of policy measures
2. Assessing progress on locally specific transition pathways:
Elaborated in a local process to direct attention of Local organisations, e.g.:
- Municipal funds supporting building retrofitting programmes
- Organisations implmenting a sustainable commuting policy for staff
- % staff completed training programmes on energy-efficiency measures
- ….
OECD set ‘Economic opportunities’ more adapted to national policy making
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14. Recommendations on indicators II:
Method and process
• This OECD project highlighted opportunities from developing a
set of local indicators and serious challenges of getting at data
• Multiple indicator processes are running at overlapping local
levels (e.g. Luxembourg climate pact, or EU2020 going local
/INTERREG initiatives) – attention to synergy is required
• Locally driven and –owned indicator processes with a range of
stakeholders will be most effective to direct transition
• Indicators for cross-border areas are a particular challenge –
trans-national harmonisation of sets of indicators and methods
required
- Organisations like the Benelux secretariat have a role to play
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15. Acknowledgements
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Name Organisation
Tom Becker University of Luxembourg, R.U. IPSE
Enrico Benetto CRP Henri Tudor, Resource Centre for Environmental Technologies
Emmanuel Cornelius City of Esch-sur-Alzette, Social Development
Kay Friedrichs Paul Wurth SA, Head Green Building & Urban Design
Estelle Evrard University of Luxembourg, R.U. IPSE
Marina-Anda Georgescu Professional participant in the UL SCCS course, 2012
Aniko Knopp University of Luxembourg, Cell for Sustainable Development
Florian Hoffmann University of Luxembourg, R.U. Engineering
Stefanie Klaedtke Institute for Organic Agriculture (IBLA), Researcher
Raquel Luna University of Luxembourg, MA EU Philosophy
Sebastian Manhart University of Trier, Dpt General Education II
Hans Mooren Benelux Union, Secretariat General
Marius Neagu Professional participant in the UL SCCS course, 2012
Isabel Page Professional participant in the UL SCCS course, 2012
John Park Professional participant in the UL SCCS course, 2012
Xavier Poos City of Esch-sur-Alzette, Economist,
Jerome R. Ravetz Environmental Consultant and academic, Oxford
Isabelle Renoir Pro-Sud, Observatory
Nicole Schlichtenhorst Pro-Sud, Regional manager
Paul Schosseler CRP Henri Tudor, Director
Christian Schulz University of Luxembourg, Head of R.U. IPSE