KISS—Keeping it Simply Sustainable
The importance of a working set of Sustainability
Indicators for the WA planning system
Professor John Glasson, Oxford
Brookes University, UK
Curtin University, WA
April
2009
1
2
3
4
Also first ‘Fairtrade
University’
‘Local’ food initiative
5
But Perth and WA have so many excellent sustainability
features—but also sustainability problems like other cities
6
But how do we assess sustainability
performance?
And shouldn’t this be a central feature of
the WA planning system?
7
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION
• to report on recent research activities, for
WA DPI, on developing a set of performance
indicators for a sustainable WA Planning
System ( regional and local)
• to set in context of work in UK for European
Investment Bank (EIB) on developing a set of
Social Sustainability Indicators for urban
areas (JESSICA Project)
8
STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION
1. Context – key drivers
2. Indicators of sustainability
3. Some comparative practice-brief
overview
4. Towards a comprehensive QBL approach
5 Narrowing down to a land use planning
focus
6. Implementation/next steps
9
1.
CONTEXT – KEY DRIVERS
- International/national
- Climate change and sustainability—
IGPCC/ Stern/ Garnaut —an inconvenient truth, but
major benefits of strong early action
- Sustainability is a global movement;
.
from TBL to QBL (quadruple bottom line)
• importance of a sustainability hierarchy
• importance of assessing performance in relation to
sustainability issues-indicators and targets; adaptive
management; especially for planning system
10
Importance of
Synergy
Hierarchy of
Sustainability
From TBL
to QBL
11
WA government – drivers and responses
• Importance of Outcome Based Management in WA
Public Sector-2004 guidelines
highlight importance of performance against KPIs, to be
determined in consultation with key stakeholders
• Specific Department /Agency drivers eg
-DPC (2003) Better Planning Services
-DPC (2003) State Sustainability Strategy
-DPI (2005/6) Outcome/ Service Structure
-EPA (2006/2007) State of Environment Report
-Landcorp (2006) Sustainability Report
• Premier’s (May 2007) policy document on ‘Making
Decisions for the Future: Climate Change’
12
Some key reports
13
2.
INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABILITY
Indicators: need and nature
‘An Indicator is something that helps you understand where you
are, which way you are going and how far you are from where you
want to be. A good indicator alerts you to a problem before it
gets too bad, and helps you to recognise what needs to be done
to fix the problem’ (Hart, 2000)
Constraints to date : institutional and methodological
‘traditional’ (e.g. GDP) or more ‘sustainable’ (e.g. number of green
jobs); simple (eg. Air quality) or more complex (e.g.
Environmental Footprint; Index of Economic Welfare)?
need to compromise in choice of effective indicators
14
State Sustainability Strategy, DPC 2003
‘
With a few exceptions, many integrative
sustainability indicators have yet to be
tested with any scientific rigour and, as
such, lack the robustness to be
applicable at the State or regional level.
Until such time that integrative
sustainability indicators are more fully
developed, a TBL reporting approach
will provide a useful indication of WA’s
progress to sustainability.
Accordingly, the WA Government is
looking to develop headline sustainability
indicators to demonstrate WA’s
progress across the TBL and to assist
with informing the community’.
15
Some other characteristics of good
Sustainability Indicators
• be fit for purpose
• avoid indicator overload
• be clear, understandable, reliable and
generally measurable (what gets measured
gets managed)
• reveal direction of performance
• be cascadeable through the WA planning
system, and aid benchmarking with
national/international indicator sets
• have scope to adapt
16
3 SOME COMPARATIVE PRACTICE
Ideas from comparative practice
Key structuring elements
• Scope (eg from narrow Environmental to wide
QBL)
• Indicators and Targets
• Spatial basis
17
OECD--PSR
indicators by environmental issues (includes
‘sink oriented’ issues, dealing with environmental quality; and
‘resource-oriented’ dealing with quantity of natural resources)
Issue
Pressure
Indicator
State Indicator
Response Indicator
Climate change
•index of greenhouse
gas emissions
•CO2 emissions
•atmospheric
concentrations of
greenhouse gases
•global mean
temperature
•energy efficiency
•energy intensity
•energy mix
•economic and fiscal
instruments
Water resources
•intensity of use
•frequency, duration
and extent of
shortages
•water prices and
user charges for
sewage treatment
Source: OECD (1996)
18
UK/EU
• National headline indicator categories (UK
Sustainable Development Commission, 2004)
Economic growth
Investment
Employment
Poverty
Education
Health
Housing
Crime
Greenhouse gas emissions
Air quality
Road traffic
River water quality
Wildlife
Land use
Waste
19
•
Examples of objectives, indicators and targets
for SE England (Integrated Regional Framework)
Objective
Indicator
Target
12
To address the causes of climate
change through reducing emissions of
greenhouse gases and ensure that
the SE is prepared for its impacts
a. Emissions of
greenhouse gases from
energy consumption,
transport and land use
and waste
management.
By 2050, reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions from
activities within the
region by 60%.
19
To increase energy efficiency, and
the proportion of energy generated
from renewable sources in the
region.
a. Energy use p.c.
b. Installed capacity
for energy production
from renewable
sources.
By 2020, install
620MW of renewable
energy (5.5% of
generation capacity).
21
To sustain economic growth and
competitiveness across the region
a. GVA p.c.
To narrow the gap in
GVA p.c. between the
best
and
worst
performing parts of
the region
20
Source: SEERA (2004)
Building in the Socio-Economic Dimension on a Spatial Basis in the UK
eg via Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
21
22
Rotterdam (NL)—recent(2008) example of the Social Index
23
Dimensions and Sub-Dimensions of Social Quality
24
Presentation of findings (for each of 64 city districts)
25
An alternative display approach for specific areas
26
AUSTRALIA
• National: ‘Measuring Australia’s Progress 2005’
(ABS 2005/6) – key indicator sets
– health (life expectancy)
– education and training
(non-school qualifications)
– work (unemployment rate)
–
–
–
–
–
national income
financial hardship
national wealth
housing
productivity
-
-
-
natural landscape
human environ. (eg air
quality)
oceans and estuaries
international environ.
concerns (eg greenhouse
gas emissions)
family, community and
social cohesion (eg %
voluntary work)
crime
democracy, governance and
citizenship
27
NSW State Planning Strategy (2006)
Includes attempts to provide clear and measurable
indicators, for example:
Priorities
Target
Reduced rates of crime
Reduce property crime by 15% by
2016
A reliable electricity supply with
increased use of renewables
Achieve 15% renewable energy
consumption by 2020
Cleaner air and progress on
greenhouse gas reductions
Cut greenhouse emissions by 60% by
2050
Housing affordability
Ensure a supply of land and a mix of
housing that meets demand
28
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Constraints of competing perspectives eg:
from
– complex – URS study (2004) for WA
SSS (DPC)
– pragmatic narrow focus – eg for
housing (2005) (Landcorp)
29
Extract from URS study on ‘Draft headline
Indicators’ (URS 2004)
Dimensions of sustainability
Headline indicator (outcome)
• Environmental protection
• Social advancement
• Biodiversity conservation in the State’s
ecosystems
• Human, social and community well-being
• Economic prosperity
• Economic health and competitiveness
• Social value of environmental protection
• Economic value of environmental
protection
• Economic value of social advancement
• Environmental value of social
advancement
• Environmental value of economic
prosperity
• Social value of economic prosperity
• Social benefits from the environment
• Resource use efficiency
• Index of Sustainable Functionality
• Trends in natural, social, individual and
economic systems
30
• Economic benefits from social activities
• Environmental benefits from social
activities
• Environmental benefits from social
activities
• Social benefits from economic activity
Landcorp
WA Land Authority, has been working with builders and local
authorities to achieve affordable sustainable housing with the
features of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Water conservation
Energy efficiency
Resource and waste management
Liveability
Accessibility, and
Affordability
31
Extract from Landcorp current indicator/project list
32
Network City-some key drivers
• make fuller use of urban land (eg. 60%
of required dwellings in existing urban areas)
• nurture the environment
• encourage public over private
transport
• align transport systems and
land use to optimise
accessibility and amenity
• strengthen local sense of place
• develop strategies which deliver
local jobs
• provide for affordable housing
33
WA State of Environment Report (2006/07)
‘Human Settlements’ theme includes
•
•
•
•
•
Settlement patterns
Transport
Water use in settlements
Energy use in settlements
Waste generation and disposal
Stresses importance of measuring, monitoring and
reporting on environmental impacts of WA’s settlements
Includes objectives and indicators (mixture of
Pressure, State and Response)
34
4. TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE QBL
APPROACH
DEVELOPMENT OF A STATEWIDE
SUSTAINABILITY CHECKLIST FOR
THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN
PLANNING SYSTEM
Keeping it Simply Sustainable
Professor John Glasson
Visiting Professor, Department of Urban and
Regional Planning, Curtin University of
Technology, Perth, WA
Co-director, Oxford Institute for Sustainable
Development, Oxford Brookes University, UK
July 2005
35
• possible way forward
Key Dimensions (QBL)
Structured into various
indicator types
Environmental
sustainability
Supporting
indicators
Social
advancement
Headline/Core
indicators
Economic
prosperity
Sustainable
governance
36
• headline/core indicator set
Economic prosperity
economic growth
employment and unemployment
economic diversification
disparities/poverty
innovation
Social advancement
crime and safety
health
education and skills
housing
accessibility to services
well being
Environmental sustainability
climate change and energy use
air quality
water use
waste management
public transport
land use and abuse
sustainable building
Sustainable governance
democratic participation
community participation
international responsibilities
37
• examples for economic prosperity (to
achieve a sustainable economy
Objective
Indicator
Target
2
To sustain
economic growth
and
competitiveness
GRP or GVA per
cap
To sustain levels of
growth; to narrow
regional spatial
differences in WA
by 50% by 2020
5
To reduce
income
disparities
?
Supplementary, more sustainable, indicators (eg)
• % local jobs
• Growth in ‘green jobs’
• Increase in Aboriginal employment
?
38
• examples for social advancement (achieve a strong,
healthy and just society)
Objective
Indicator
Target
7
To reduce crime
and improve
safety
Trends in crime
To reduce in line
rates (eg burglaries with national
per 1000 popn pa)
targets
8
To improve
health and well
being
?
?
Supplementary, more sustainable, indicators. Eg.
• Fear of crime
• Social Capital Index
• Access to internet
• Racial harmony
39
• examples of environmental sustainability (living
within environmental limits)
12
16
Objective
Indicator
Target
To address causes
of climate change
by reducing
greenhouse gas
emissions
Emission of
greenhouse gases
from energy
consumption,
transport etc.
% energy from
renewable sources
12% reduction in
stationary energy
use by 2006-07
(on 2001-02
base)
To minimise use of
open land for
development
?
?
?
Supplementary more sustainable, indicators (eg)
ecological footprint
traffic safety
‘slow food’
% of 4 WDs
40
• examples of sustainable governance (promoting good
governance)
Objective
21
22
To increase local
democratic
participation
To increase local
community
participation
Indicator
?
% volunteering at
least 50 hours pa
Target
?
50% by 2010
Supplementary list eg.
• Social justice; fair go; equity index
• accountability
41
5. NARROWING DOWN TO A LAND
USE PLANNING APPROACH
Categories/themes-Environment +
•
•
•
Driven by WA SoE Human Settlements categories
Settlements/Transport/Water/Energy/Waste
+ Biodiversity/Housing/limited other Socio-Economic
Overarching Climate Change objective and target
•
•
world wide scientific opinion suggests global emissions cuts
of at least 50-60% needed by 2050 (on 2000 base)
. WA government target is 60% cut from current 71 m tonnes
pa (2007) to 26 m tonnes (2050); and 20% cut by 2020?
Sources of specific targets –as grounded as possible
Focus on regional and local levels; urban-rural issues
Tested in Stakeholder workshops and presentations to WAPC
42
Theme: Settlement Patterns
Objectives
Indicators
Targets
Manage urban growth
to limit sprawl
through:
area of land used
for urban
development
increasing efficiency
of land uses in urban
areas,
Hectares of land per
cap. in authority
area
60% of new
residential
development to be on
previously developed
land
improving integration
of different land
uses and transport,
and increasing
housing densities.
Improve accessibility
to workplace,
services and
facilities
% of population living
within 10 mins of a
major public transp.
route (Metro Perth)
av/pa.net residential
densities of new
housing developments
% of households at
set distances from
key services
add
% increase in net
residential density
of? or increase in
proportion of medium
&high density lots
by?
Contextual
information
Network City and
international standard
Also National Charter of
Integrated Land Use and
Transport Planning, 2003
Or proportion of zoned
land in Metro Perth that
is within 1 km of a
major public transport
route
Average net residential
density in Perth Metro
is approx 15 per ha.
Proportion of medium
density lots has
increased over time
add
43
Theme: Transport
Objectives
Indicators
Targets
Contextual
information
Improve
environmental and
cost efficiency
impacts and increase
travel choice of
transport in WA by:
modal split of
passenger kms
travelled pa (or
modal split of trips
undertaken pa ??)
double proportion of
total journeys using
public transport ,and
walking and cycling
by 2020
Perth Metro current
modal split: approx 6%
public transport , 11%
walking and 2% cycling
increasing relative
use of public
transport and other
forms of alternative
transport;
kms of cycle
networks
double by 2020
S. Australia Plan
includes same target
for 2003-2018 period
reducing total per
unit vehicle kms
travelled; and
reducing use of
transport energy and
total vehicle
emissions
no. of STPs for
establishments of
over 500 people per
day ??
Eg. % of public
vehicle fleet which is
carbon neutral
to add
STPs = Sustainable
Travel Plans
100% by 2015?
44
Theme : Water
Objective
Indicator
Target
To provide a water
system to sustain
the population,
economy and
environment of WA,
by:
reduction of pc
water use;
was 188 in 2003
trend in pc domestic
water consumption
or
kilolitres of water
used per dwelling pa
and, maintenance of
water quality (eg
protect groundwater)
reduce from 155
kilolitres (now) to
120 (2012), and to
75(2020) ?
20% improvement in
water efficiency—by
when?
improvement in water
use efficiency;
increase in
proportion of
wastewater
reclaimed for re-use
Contextual
information
% of waste water
reused
20% waste water reuse by 2012
has increased from 2.6%
in 2000 to 13.6% in
2006 (2012 target is in
State Water Plan )
45
Theme: Energy
Objectives
To reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions from
energy use,
through:
increasing energy
efficiency; and
reducing energy
reliance on fossil
fuels and increasing
use of renewable
energy
Indicators
residential energy
use pc
total GHG generated
in total/ by sector
Or GHG per ha
Targets
a clean energy
target of 50% by
2010 and 60% by
2020
% energy derived
from renewable
sources
increase renewable
energy generation to
6% by 2010, 15% by
2020 and 20% by
2025 (SW system)
no of lots with solar
access
??
take-up of schemes
(eg no. of schools
using solar energy)
350 by 2010
Contextual
information
Premier’s 2007 Climate
Change Action
Statement
46
Theme: Waste
Objectives
Indicators
Targets
Contextual
information
Facilitating zero
waste by 2020 by:
minimising waste
creation (eg from
building and
construction);
waste disposal rates
to landfill, by waste
stream (eg % of
household waste to
landfill pa)
zero waste by 2020
allocating land for
recycling facilities;
and
amount of waste
material reused and
recycled
considerable scope
for major increase in
kg pc recycling (eg
by 200% by 2015?)
co-locating land uses
to support efficient
waste management
domestic waste
production pc pa
Between 1999 and 2004
Perth Metro has
increased per household
recycling from 250kg pa
to 400kg pa; similarly
non-Metro has increased
from 100-250 kg. But
these amounts are very
low compared with other
Australia (eg only 25%
of ACT and 50% of
NSW).
See emerging strategy
from WA Waste
Management Board.
47
Theme: Biodiversity
Objectives
to conserve
comprehensive,
adequate and
representative
species and ecosystems
Indicators
Targets
Contextual
information
ha of native
vegetation cleared pa
for various purposes
needed (EPA)
Nationally the rate of
land cleared pa
decreased by about 38%
between 1993 and 2003,
% of natural
bushland held in
POS with high quality
bio-diversity (?)
needed (EPA)
In WA average number
of hectares cleared pa
between 1998 and 2001
was: 500 (in Perth
Metro); 20 000 (mining)
and 5 000 (agriculture)
no. of threatened
species and
ecological
communities
% of population living
within 400 m of POS
> 5000 sqm
needed (EPA)
Partly covered by target
on 60% use of
brownfield land, under
Settlement Structure?
??
48
Theme : Housing
Objectives
Indicators
Targets
Contextual
information
To ensure that all
families have an
affordable dwelling
ratio of average
dwelling prices to
average earnings
To reduce ratio by
25% by 2015 ?
Currently of the order
of 10:1 for Metro Perth
% of affordable
homes in new
developments
To provide 30%
affordable homes for
new developments by
2010
As adopted in pressured
local authority areas in
the UK
mix of dwelling type
per authority area
??
To provide a
sufficiently
diversified and
flexible housing
stock to meet
evolving housing
needs
To improve resource
efficiency of new
housing developments
proportion of new
developments meeting
new WA 5-star
standard
100% of new
dwellings (and 50%
of retrofits? ) to be
to 5 star standard
by 2010
As set out in Premier’s
2007 Action Plan
statement (including
water efficient systems,
provision for grey water
recycling etc)
49
Theme: Other Socio-economic
(but was concern
that not direct role of WA land use planning system )
Objectives
Indicators
Targets
To reduce crime and
improve safety
trends in crime rates
(eg. violent crimes,
burglaries etc. per
1000 population pa.)
reduce in line with
national targets; to
reduce property
crime by 15% by
2015 (too low?)
To improve health
and well being and
reduce health
inequalities
life expectancy at
birth; death rates
from particular
causes
To minimise
environmental health
issues associated
with location of
development
To ensure high and
stable levels of
employment, and to
reduce unemployment
To reduce income
disparities
Contextual
information
See NSW State Plan
2006
increase expectancy
(esp. for certain
SEGs): to reduce in
line with national
targets
See ABS ‘Measuring
Australia’s Progress’ for
some national guidance
on these indicators
rate of long term
unemployment
to reduce in line with
national targets
Or % of working age
population in employment
income disparities
between top and
bottom 20%
reduce by 20% by
2020 ?
??
50
6.IMPLEMENTATION/ NEXT STEPS
• Refine approach; test a ‘working’ indicators and targets set
against planning needs (ie check ‘fit for purpose’)
• Present to WAPC as way forward ( early 2009)
• Pilot/trial at regional and local scales, and in urban and rural
contexts
• Develop simple guidance package; scope for use of IT
• Implement set of simple sustainability indicators and targets
• Annual and quinquennial monitoring of performance
• Adapt and refine (eg widen scope, develop understandable
composite indicators, such as Environmental Footprinting).
51
Themes
The indicators have been separated into five distinct
themes that the DPI has some influence over:
1. Settlements : the efficiency of land use in regards to housing
density and travel distance from services.
2. Transport : the different types of transportation used in the
metropolitan and Peel areas.
3. Water : levels of consumption of potable water, the recycling and
reuse of wastewater, and groundwater levels from extraction
aquifers.
4. Climate Change and Energy (Stationary) : the greenhouse gas
emissions from traditional mains energy use, and the planned
increase in renewable energy generation capacity.
5. Biological Conservation : how much land is protected as a
conservation area for various vegetation complexes.
52
0%
Mandurah
Murray
Serpentine-Jarrahdale
Cockburn
Kwinana
Rockingham
Mundaring
Swan
Armadale
Gosnells
Stirling
Joondalup
Wanneroo
Kalamunda
Bayswater
Belmont
Canning
Melville
Subiaco
Victoria Park
Vincent
Bassendean
Nedlands
Peppermint Grove
Perth
South Perth
Cottesloe
East Fremantle
Fremantle
Mosman Park
Cambridge
Claremont
% population within catchment
Indicator S1:% of dwellings within catchment(400m from bus route or 800m
from bus / train station) of a public transport node with a peak AM service
frequency of less than 15 minutes.
Weekday Peak AM 15 minute service
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Local Government Area
53
Indicator S3:% of new residential development on previously developed land
100%
Dwellings Built
Outside Urban
Extent
80%
70%
60%
Dwellings Built on
Urban Fringe
50%
40%
30%
20%
Dwellings Built
Inside Urban Extent
10%
0%
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Proportion of Development
90%
Year
54
Indicator W2 Percentage of recovery and re-use of wastewater
(2012 target=20%)
14
12
Percent
10
8
6
4
2
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Year
55
Some Final Thoughts—KISS?
• Importance of sustainability indicators in our
drive to a more sustainable future
• Particularly important for the planning system
• Advantages of a QBL approach
• But importance of making some progress
• So, initial narrow-focus DPI steps welcomed –
hopefully to be implemented soon?
• But need to build on these steps
56
Thankyou for your kind attention
57