CEP to support the EEA in understanding drivers of urban sustainability

CEP has been awarded a new project to analyse drivers of environmental transitions in European cities

Collingwood Environmental Planning (CEP) (in partnership with Eunomia Research & Consulting), LSE Cities at the London School of Economics and Milieu has been commissioned by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to support the delivery of the EEA’s project aiming to better understand what enables or hinders environmental sustainability transitions in European cities, and how these factors may have changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This project follows a previous project delivered by a CEP-led team (2019-2020) which piloted a survey of the drivers and enablers of urban sustainability in European cities.  The results of this previous work were published in the EEA’s report Urban sustainability in Europe – What is driving cities’ environmental change?.  Using the method developed in this previous project, the new project involves a survey targeting 100 European cities followed up by 25 interviews.  The results of this project will directly inform the EEA’s ongoing work on urban sustainability, including the next European State and Outlook on the Environment Report (SOER) in 2025. 

This exciting new project builds on our long track-record of supporting the EEA in developing a knowledge base, conceptual understanding and assessments in the field of urban environmental sustainability.  More information on our wider work on urban environmental sustainability can be found here. 

For more information please contact CEP’s Owen White (Managing Director) or Špela Kolarič (Senior Consultant) for more information. 

Urban Sustainability in Europe - EEA reports published

EEA reports on urban sustainability in Europe, co-authored by CEP, are now published.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published today two assessments on urban environmental change. These explore how European cities have the potential to lead the way towards a green, sustainable future.

CEP has been supporting the EEA’s work on urban sustainability in Europe since 2017. This has been undertaken as part of the CEP-led framework contract which provides assistance on forward-looking analysis, sustainability assessments and systemic transitions. The two reports that the EEA has published today were co-authored by CEP with our partners LSE Cities:

• Urban Sustainability in Europe – Opportunities for challenging times  – While the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being assessed, it is already clear that cities currently face a triple challenge of tackling the health impacts of the pandemic, dealing with the climate and ecological emergency, and addressing social and economic inequalities. This EEA briefing focussing on the huge challenges cities have faced trying to shift to a greener future in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Urban sustainability in Europe – What is driving cities’ environmental change? – This EEA report explores work on what could make up a benchmark on how cities evaluate key drivers of and barriers to urban sustainability transitions. It is based on a survey and interviews with selected European cities.

Conceptual framework for urban environmental sustainability:

The EEA has developed an overarching conceptual framework for urban environmental sustainability to provide the basis for future assessments. The conceptual framework is based on four main components: lenses; context; enabling factors; and building blocks.

The briefing and report are part of a series of products the EEA will publish over the coming months on urban environmental sustainability authored by CEP. Future work will include a flagship report on urban environmental sustainability setting out the EEA’s conceptual framework and summary of analysis or urban nexuses focusing on climate resilience, quality of life, accessibility, healthy environment, food security, circularity, clean energy and sustainable buildings at urban level.

Upcoming report and outputs:

• Urban sustainability in Europe – A stakeholder-led assessment process

• Urban sustainability in Europe – Avenues for change

• Urban Sustainability in Europe – Learning from nexus analysis

• Urban sustainability in Europe – Glossary of key terms and concepts

For further information please contact Ric Eales (Managing Director)

CEP to deliver a new EEA project on transformations of socio-ecological systems

CEP has been awarded a new EEA project to take stock of the knowledge base in the field of transformations of socio-ecological systems of relevance for EU policy making

Collingwood Environmental Planning has been commissioned by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to conduct a literature review to take stock of the most recent findings on ‘transformations of socio-ecological systems’ of relevance for EU policy making. CEP will be working in partnership with cChange.   

This new project has been awarded under the CEP-led framework service contract for the EEA which provides assistance on forward-looking analysis, sustainability assessments and systemic transitions.  

Transformations in socio-ecological systems can be understood as an umbrella term for more specific and actionable concepts, approaches and solutions-oriented knowledge related to sustainability transitions. Over the coming years, as part of work to build the knowledge base for the next European Environment State and Outlook Report (SOER, 2025), the EEA would like to develop the evidence base related to transformations in socio-ecological systems, with a focus on its use in policy-relevant assessments.  

The project will focus on assisting the EEA to strengthen its understanding related to solutions-oriented knowledge on aspects such as ecological resilience, nature-based solutions and green infrastructure, ecosystem-based management, and social justice.  Within these areas, the stock taking will focus on: 

• improving the conceptual understanding of these concepts and approaches; 

• practical evidence, including case studies, on the application and implementation of the specific concepts; and,  

• potential implications for policy and governance in dealing with sustainability transformations. 

For more information please contact CEP’s Owen White (Technical Director) or Spela Kolaric (Senior Consultant) for more information.   

CEP has contributed to new EEA report on Sustainability Transitions

NEW REPORT ON SUSTAINABILITY TRANSITIONS: POLICY AND PRACTICE PUBLISHED BY THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

The European Environment Agency has published a report developed under the CEP-led framework service contract which provides assistance on forward looking analysis, sustainability assessments and systemic transitions.  The report on Sustainability transitions: policy and practice, has been developed through three projects delivered under the framework service contract, which have brought together research on the implications of sustainability transitions and transformations for European policy and governance. 

The report development was led by the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester, with input from the Institute for Ecological Economy Research, Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Fraunhofer ISI and the German Environment Agency.  CEP has contributed to the report by coordinating the characterisation of three key ‘socio-technical’ systems (food, energy and mobility).  CEP also reviewed the report for quality purposes, overall coherence, and to ensure accessibility for the target audience.

For more information please contact CEP’s Owen White, the overall Framework Contract Manager.

CEP-led consortium to deliver new EEA project on transitions governance

CEP-led consortium has been awarded a new EEA project to develop a report on governance and policy for sustainability transitions

A new project has been awarded under the CEP-led framework service contract for the European Environment Agency (EEA) which provides assistance on forward looking analysis, sustainability assessments and systemic transitions.

This project, led by the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester, will further develop and finalise a report on the implications of research into sustainability transitions and transformations for European policy and governance. This project continues work previously completed under an earlier project. CEP has a role in this project to review the report for quality purposes, overall coherence, and to ensure accessibility for the target audience.

For more information please contact CEP’s Owen White, the overall Framework Contract Manager, or Dr Bill Sheate, the Framework Contract Director.