The role of City Climate Networks in Promoting Citizen Participation in Municipalities: A Critical Multi-Case Analysis

Background<br/>At the COP21, cities were recognised as key actors in combatting climate change. In supporting cities, climate city networks such as transnational climate networks (TCNs) and national climate networks (NCNs) have emerged to enable cities in building capacities and formulating climate policy whilst also encouraging citizen...

Experts and expertise in practices of citizen engagement in climate policy: a comparative analysis of two contrasting cases

The need for engaging citizens in climate policymaking is increasingly recognised. Despite indications that the form of expert involvement can strongly influence participatory processes, this remains scarcely researched. We analysed two unique and contrasting cases of citizen engagement in national climate mitigation policy: (1) the Irish...

Sustainable and circular development of business parks: A cross-case analysis on the current practices and developments in sustainable and circular business parks in Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands in their contribution to the national, regional and local circular and energy transitions

Business parks are marked as key areas in sustainable transitions, including the energy transition and transition to a circular economy. This thesis analysis what the current practices and developments in sustainable and circular business parks in Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands are in their contribution to local, regional and national circular...

The role of International Cooperative Initiatives in achieving national climate targets in the Netherlands: The case of the chemical sector

Municipal policy for events' environmental sustainability: A case study of the City of Amsterdam

This thesis analyses the policy for environmentally sustainable events of the City of Amsterdam by performing an ex-post policy analysis and developing a method for assessment and monitoring of environmental sustainability of events. The research question is "How can the City of Amsterdam monitor and improve its policy for environmentally...

Climate change mitigation policy alternatives and citizens' preferences trade-offs: A Participatory Value Evaluation in Peru

Climate change is a topic being addressed by many countries worldwide. One of the most recent treaties is the Paris Agreement signed in 2015 by 196 parties, where they agree on a common goal: restrict global warming to be climate-neutral by 2050. Peru by being one of the signing parties that played a relevant role before and during the Paris...

Assessing the European Electric-Mobility Transition: Emissions from Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Use in Relation to the EU Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets

The European Union (EU) has set a 37.5% GHG reduction target in 2030 for the mobility sector, relative to 1990 levels. This requires increasing the share of zero-emission passenger vehicles, mainly in the form of electric vehicles (EVs). This study calculates future GHG emissions related to passenger vehicle manufacturing and use based on...

Assessing gender and climate objectives interactions in urban decarbonisation policies

Gender studies have highlighted how policies and actions that are not drafted and planned with a gender perspective tend to produce a gender bias. Climate policies are not an exception. Measures to mitigate and adapt cities to climate change might lead to undesired outcomes regarding gender equality or, in contrast, may help to improve equality....

Governing regional energy transitions?: A case study addressing metagovernance of thirty energy regions in the Netherlands

There is increasing scholarly and policy attention to energy transition at the regional scale. This perspective article presents empirical insights from the Netherlands, a frontrunner that has been experimenting with, formulating and scaling regional energy strategies to thirty ‘energy regions’, with the goal of these regions contributing to the...

Governing regional energy transitions? A case study addressing meta-governance of thirty energy regions in the Netherlands*

Meeting at the crossroads? Developing national strategies for disaster risk reduction and resilience: Relevance, scope for, and challenges to, integration

Increasing impacts from disasters and climate hazards have prompted international efforts to promote the development of national disaster risk reduction and resilience (DRRR) strategies intended to reduce mortality and other losses. The development of such strategies is the subject of target E of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk...

Agent-Based Modelling of EU Energy and Climate Policy: Investment, Uncertainty and Policy Imperfections

We simulate climate and energy policy for the EU using a flexible and modular agent-based modelling approach, we named Energy Modelling Laboratory (EMLab). The agent-based model focuses on investment in power generation and studies long run effects of various interacting European energy policies, and incorporates differences between countries....

Adapting cultural heritage to climate change impacts in the Netherlands: barriers, interdependencies, and strategies for overcoming them

Climate change is currently impacting cultural heritage globally. Despite advances in the understanding of the relationship between climate change impacts and cultural heritage, there are significant barriers that hamper adaptation of cultural heritage to current and projected climate risks. This paper aims to advance the empirical understanding...

The desirability of transitions in demand: Incorporating behavioural and societal transformations into energy modelling

Quantitative systems modelling in support of climate policy has tended to focus more on the supply side in assessing interactions among technology, economy, environment, policy and society. By contrast, the demand side is usually underrepresented, often emphasising technological options for energy efficiency improvements. In this perspective,...

The importance of stakeholders in scoping risk assessments—Lessons from low-carbon transitions

Identifying the risks that could impact a low-carbon transition is a prerequisite to assessing and managing these risks. We systematically characterise risks associated with decarbonisation pathways in fifteen case studies conducted in twelve countries around the world. We find that stakeholders from business, government, NGOs, and others...

Simulating climate and energy policy with agent-based modelling: The Energy Modelling Laboratory (EMLab)

We present an approach to simulate climate and energy policy for the EU, using a flexible and modular agent-based modelling approach and a toolbox, called the Energy Modelling Laboratory (EMLab). The paper shortly reviews core challenges and approaches for modelling climate and energy policy in light of the energy transition. Afterwards, we...

High-ambitious local climate policies to reduce CO2 emissions: Municipal strategies to approach homeowners in the Netherlands

Municipalities are the constructors of local climate policies and the upholders of building law. But regarding the existing housing stock, they are lacking effective legal instruments to improve the energy efficiency of this stock, which is occupied by different homeowner categories. Regarding high-ambitious climate policies to reduce cities’...