POCACITO and the ASEAN project on Long-term Action Planning for Low Emission Development Collaboration project
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A joint activity of Ecologic Institute (Germany) and Clean Air Asia (Philippines)
Abstract
The research collaboration between Ecologic Institute’s project POCACITO (Post-Carbon Cities of Tomorrow) and Clean Air Asia’s project on Long-term Action Planning for Low Emission Development in ASEAN region will enable partners to exchange knowledge regarding the challenges and needs of EU and ASEAN member-states at the city-level based on the experiences of the two projects. The project partners aim to enhance the knowledge-sharing through working visits that will lead to the developmentof recommendations for effective action-planning as well as to the reinforcement of long-term partnerships between EU and ASEAN research organizations and identification of areas of potential cooperation.
Objectives
This project twinning aims to identify areas of potential synergies between EU and ASEAN region regarding the transfer of best practices, as we
ll as successful processes, city/country networks, technologies, among others. As the method of visioning and backcasting are applied in both projects for the creation of “roadmaps” and “a ction plans”, the collaboration also aims to support a critical analysis of the different approaches implemented by the projects, highlighting the experiences, key challenges, potential improvements, outcomes, and follow up actions. Based on the activities of the partnership, the final report will include recommendations for future visioning and backcasting activities, which will also underline regional differences that might affect the application of such approach. The final objective of the collaboration is to build a long-lasting network between the two regions, which will continue even after the span of the mobility funds via the “online marketplace” of POCACITO, among others.
Activities
The planned activities of the collaboration include in-person meetings, supplemented by regular online communication and exchange, as well as follow-up actions to support the ongoingpartnership. The project begins in April 2015 with an online kick-off meeting, which will allow partners to develop a detailed agenda for the first in-person meeting. The first in-person meeting is scheduled in coordination with the first European study tour conducted by the POCACITO project in June 2015. A representative from Clean Air Asia will take part in the first study tour organized by the POC ACITO project, where up to 5 European cities will be visited by POCACITO representatives from participating EU cities as well as Brazil and China. The aim of the study tour is to enhance the reciprocal learning of the socio-economic success factors and limitations when implementing low- and post-carbon solutions, highlighting innovative policy initiatives, technologies, and implem entation factors across various sectors (transport, energy, water, etc.). During the study tour, POCACITO representatives will present the results of a series of local workshops in respective case study cities and the methodology used for the visioning and backcasting exercises as well as the next steps for the development of local 2050 post-carbon city roadmaps, allowing for feedback and discussion with Clean Air Asia representatives. Clean Air Asia will disseminate lessons learned to its network in the ASEAN region.
The second in-person meeting is scheduled in September 2015 when representatives from the POCACITO project will visit the Philippines and participate in Urban Environmental Accord Summit in Iloilo City. The theme of the Summit is “Green City, Livable City” and is being organized with the support of the government and is an avenue to present the lessons learned in the EU case studies as well in ASEAN. To enhance understanding of the local setting, Clean Air Asia representatives will introduce POCACITO to the ASEAN context of action-planning and implementation. During the meeting, Clean Air Asia representatives will discuss the results of the backcasting exercise and the long-term action plans developed up to 2050 for each of the ASEAN countries. The methodology applied will also be presented, along with the description of the main challenges and needs of ASEAN countries, as identified in the project results, and potential synergies with the POCACITO project. Clean Air Asia aims to also organize meetings with partners in developing the action plan and stakeholders in the field of sustainable urban mobility (e.g. National Center for Transportation Studies in the Philippines and Indonesia Transportation Society) and with representatives from the national government and the local government units. This will introduce the POCACITO representatives to the various driving forces and socio-economic and institutional challenges involved in implementation. The POCACITO representatives will disseminate lessons learned to the rest of the POCACITO consortium as well as to relevant EU network.
Expected Results
The expected results of the research collaboration include the advancement of visioning and backcasting methodologies as well as the development and implementation of roadmaps/action plans. Furthermore, the collaboration will foster a continuing dialogue and discussion between the two regions, which will enhance mutual understand ing of the various needs and challenges facing the regions. Close cooperation and knowledge exchange will help identify the best practices, methodologies, technologies, policy initiatives, etc., that have a high potential for transferability and therefore will enhance the ongoing collaboration between the two regions in the field of climate action, particularly city and mobility initiatives.
