3rd OBJECTIVE: A more inclusive environmental framework for all and renewable and reliable energy solutions for the future Presentation of the topic The overall objective of this policy area is to address the ‘most important challenges and opportunities concerning the environment’ in the Region. A sound environment is essential for underpinning human activities in the Region and for ensuring economic and social well-being for its peoples. This is also reflected in the outcome of the public consultation, which shows that the environment is among the most important areas where macro-regional cooperation is needed. In this opinion survey, around two-thirds of the respondents stated that environment, sustainable development, or specific environmental issues are among the main topics where cooperation should be fostered. This objective will deal with the environmental issues that can only be adequately tackled through cooperation at the level and scale of the macro-region. The involvement of a wide range of stakeholders in the implementation of all actions proposed under this objective and, more specifically, the social partners and private-sector actors from all relevant fields, as well as the scientific community and civil society, will further contribute to an integrated approach. Last but not least it has to be underlined that these actions in particular (especially actions 6 and 7) have strong interlinkages to the Alpine Convention and its protocols. Action 6: To preserve and valorise natural resources, including water and cultural resources The environment of the Alpine Region is extremely vulnerable. The use of the resources and the exploitation of their potential need to be carried out in a proportionate way. Against this background, this action has a twofold character. On the one hand, it will aim to reinforce the Alpine natural and cultural resources as assets of a high-quality living area. On the other hand, it will pursue the goal to valorise the existing natural and cultural resources. Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action One of the main features of the Alpine Region is its outstanding natural and cultural heritage. The Alpine Region forms an area of mountainous habitats and is extremely rich in biodiversity and resources like minerals and water. The ways in which these resources have been transformed into economic assets have varied through history and had distinctive effects both on the Alpine environment and on the resource itself. Humankind benefits in many ways from all these ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are known as ‘ecosystem services’. Apart from this, cultural aspects such as language diversity in the Alps are unique compared to the rest of EU (many isolated settlements with original languages such as Occitan, Franco-Provençal, Walser, Ladin, Friulian, etc.). It is therefore consistent with the specific natural and cultural characteristics of the Alps that there are also already several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and several are pending. Important parts of the natural richness of the Alps are the rivers, lakes and glaciers, which make this Region the ‘water tower’ of Europe. This natural storage mechanism benefits some very important rivers in Europe, including the Rhine, Danube, Po and Rhône. These four rivers flow through 15 countries, including ten EU Member States. In some seasons the Alps provide up to 90 percent of water to lowland Europe, particularly to arid areas during the summer months. Preservation of the quality and quantity of Alpine water resources is therefore very important to Europe as a whole. One important threat to the water reserves of the Alps over the long term is climate change, which is expected to result in melting of all glacial ice in the entire eastern Alps and much of the western Alps by 2100. This shows that this action has to be closely interlinked with action 8 (To improve risk management and to better manage climate change). The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance The action ‘To preserve and valorise natural resources, including water and cultural resources’ has a twofold character. With regard to the second element, the term ‘valorisation’ has to be interpreted in a broad sense, meaning that the resources are not only the essential basis but also the medium of territorial development. According to this approach, preservation and valorisation of sources like biodiversity, water and soil are closely interwoven. The sustainable use of resources and protection of biodiversity have not only an intrinsic value in themselves but have also proven to be highly beneficial for local economies especially in sectors such as tourism and quality food production that are very important for the Alpine area. In this regard NATURA 2000 provides a range of benefits to society and the economy which are important for the Alpine area. However, it must be underlined that there are conflicts of interest between the elements to protect natural resources and their economic use. Dealing with these issues at a macro-regional level could ensure expertise and exchanges of experience with local and regional stakeholders. It could also contribute to improving the multi-level governance of resource exploitation, and ensure that the interests of different territories and groups are reflected in a more balanced way when it comes to distribution of economic returns. The objective is to set up an Alpine strategic framework that allows the establishment of sustainable and balanced models of resource management and production. The issue of water resources is a paradigm, which is generally best addressed at the level of river basin management districts through corresponding river basin management plans. As water flows out from the Alps, the Alpine Region does not have river basins which are common to all EUSALP countries. However, there is a similarity in terms of the types of water reserves (glaciers, glacial lakes, fast-flowing rivers and streams) as well as in the challenges (especially climate change and hydropower). Therefore, the transnational river basin management plans/schemes, the sharing of knowledge and information among stakeholders facing similar circumstances, as well as the identification of best practice solutions can be of high added value. In the field of cultural heritage, the use of Alpine herbs in cosmetics, pharmaceutical products and other products using agricultural raw materials is already practised, for example many multinational cosmetics companies market products containing Alpine herbs. However, there is still scope to find innovative ways of valorising local products, benefiting local Alpine communities, ensuring the authentic nature of these products, and providing local business opportunities (research and innovation, manufacturing and marketing) and through the entire value chain enabling a stronger connection between the core Alpine area and the surrounding urbanised areas. In addition, valorisation is possible with regard to human settlements (art, buildings and churches). In this regard, exchange of experiences and best practices among stakeholders involved in these sectors is essential. This action addresses the high dynamic and large diversity within the Alpine area and at the same time provides a link between towns and rural, core and peri-Alpine areas. This applies especially with regard to potential linkages to economic aspects like the ‘green economy’ and the bio-economy. Concerning the cultural aspects of the action, it has to be underlined that they are closely linked to the ‘regional identity’ of the territory and are a particular asset of the territory in a European context. Furthermore, this action is of special importance because its main characteristic is its coherent common approach in contrast to many isolated activities within the territory. A further governance need beyond the existing institutional framework is that this action facilitates a better coordination between different actors according to sectors (nature protection, agriculture, processing industry, consumers), political levels (local, regional and national within the European rural development schemes), and territories (both producing and consuming, with particular importance attached to the relation of core and peri-Alpine areas). It should also lead to stronger political ownership, as the topic has the potential to become a matter of common identity. This is also underlined by the fact that it is of clear spatial relevance as it addresses the entire area: the Alpine Arc, the foothills and the urban areas. Especially due to this fact, this action is expected to encourage solidarity and mutual understanding between the core area and the metropolises and will be a platform to join ongoing activities and to gain wider public and political attention to the Strategy itself. The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: Examples of indicators and targets: Action 7: To develop ecological connectivity in the whole EUSALP territory The integrity and functioning of ecosystems, including the conservation of biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services, largely depend on the existence of effective ecological connectivity. The promotion of ecological corridors and also of green infrastructures in unprotected areas has been suggested through the public consultation and is currently largely missing. Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action The Alps are very rich in protected areas, which cover up to 25 percent of their territory. However, the co-existence of protected areas on the one hand and intensively used territories on the other hand (e.g. through transport, settlement and tourism) has the effect of increasing fragmentation and entails the danger of creating a dichotomy between protected and unprotected areas. This dichotomy exists especially in small and narrow Alpine valleys, but of course also on a larger scale (‘protected Alps’, ‘protected environmental Alpine containment’). This poses a big threat to Alpine biodiversity and prevents essential ecological processes from taking place. Furthermore, the Alps have a number of ecological links respecting physical corridors with other mountain areas in Europe. These traditional migration routes for wildlife are currently at least partly defective or interrupted due to the high number of roads and motorways as well as a further increase in settlements (this applies for example to the links between the Alps and the Carpathians, the Dinaric Alps/Balkans, the Apennines, Jura Mountains and the Vosges). All of this shows that often only the Alps as such are regarded as a protected and ‘recreational area’, whereas the so-called surroundings or the hinterland are considered to be ‘land for use’. In this regard we need a change of mind-set, a better-integrated view and more environmental accountability. The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance The promotion of ecological connectivity will therefore be an important priority. Land-use policies, sprawl and high pressure from human activities will also be addressed. Projects which focus not only on protected areas but also on common rules for landscape development to promote ecological connectivity have been suggested in the public consultation, as they are currently largely missing. The EU-wide Strategy on Green Infrastructure is addressing the spatial structure of natural and semi-natural areas but also other environmental features which enable citizens to benefit from its multiple services. The underlying principle of Green Infrastructure is that the same area of land can frequently offer multiple benefits if its ecosystems are in a healthy state. Green Infrastructure investments are generally characterised by a high level of return over time, they provide job opportunities, and can be a cost-effective alternative or complementary to ‘grey’ infrastructure and intensive land use change. It serves the interests of both people and nature. Green Infrastructure also reflects the fact that there are long-term experiences in the core area of the Alps. However, there is a need to define Green Infrastructure at a regional level and to create stronger links between the core area and the surroundings. Apart from this, there is further need for better coordination between national policies, across different sectors and in spatial terms (core area and surroundings). Connectivity is not just connecting protected areas but also integrating the issue in a wider territorial scale and in a cross-sectorial approach. Particularly this point underlines the governance needs beyond the given institutional framework. Therefore, a main feature of this action will be a multi-level approach to ensure consistent implementation of EU policies. This means that the existing networks of protected areas (e.g. NATURA 2000) will be further strengthened. In addition all activities to improve connectivity will also involve policy fields other than nature protection (such as spatial planning) and territories which are not protected. Against this background the main feature of this action will be that it addresses connectivity between the Alpine core and peri-Alpine area on a wider geographical scale but also on regional scale between rural and urban areas, bridging the areas of high natural value. However, this action will also strengthen the above-mentioned links to other mountain regions. The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: Examples of indicators and targets: Action 8: To improve risk management and to better manage climate change, including major natural risks prevention Due to its geomorphological conformation, the Alpine territory is extremely vulnerable to environmental disasters, which can cause severe damages to ecosystems, people and infrastructures. The existing circumstances and risks are further exacerbated by the occurring climate change causing additional pressure and challenges in terms of availability of resources and threats to population. With regard to environmental disasters, the focus will be for example to conduct an adequate comprehensive risk assessment and to implement a disaster risk management policy. As regards climate change, the focus will be for example on conducting a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of the affected sectors and systems and to develop a regional strategy on adapting to climate change. Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action The Alpine Region is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change as recognised by the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change. In the 20th century, the temperature in the Alps increased by almost 2°C, while during the same period temperature increase in nearby regions averaged around 1°C. Small glaciers are likely to disappear, while larger glaciers will suffer a volume reduction of between 30 % and 70 % by 2050. This will lead to a significant impact on the quantity, quality and seasonal distribution of water with an especially large reduction of water discharge in summer. Biodiversity is under threat, with the European Environment Agency (EEA) estimating that up to 60 percent of plant species can become extinct if they are unable to adapt by moving northwards or uphill. The melting of permafrost above an altitude of 2 500 m will lead to landslides and rock falls more often than in the past. Consequently, an important share of climate sensitive sectors and systems further increase the economic vulnerability of the Region. Although these illustrations do not completely reflect all relations, they show how closely different actions are interlinked. Serious impacts on biodiversity and the water tower role of the Alps show how closely actions 6-8 are interlinked. The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance This action addresses the entire EUSALP Alpine area, but at the same time respects the specificities of the core and peripheral areas. With regard to environmental disasters, the focus will be for example to conduct an adequate comprehensive risk assessment and to implement a disaster risk management policy. Concerning climate change, comprehensive actions to adapt to the new circumstances are needed. Enhancing cooperation, establishing efficient management systems and joint regional responses in this area will make the Region more resilient to such changes. Due to the fact that the territory is a hotspot of climate change, it can serve as a reference area in Europe in terms of observation and management of its effects. With regard to climate change, the focus will be for example to conduct a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of the affected sectors and systems and to develop a regional strategy on adaptation to climate change. The adaptation actions pursued should be in line with the national adaptation strategies of the Alpine countries. In addition, both dimensions (risk management and climate change) need to be combined, because they are closely interrelated. Furthermore, concerning the needs posed by climate change, there is added value in cooperation between the Alpine Region and the EU (i.e. the European Environment Agency and/or the European Commission) to address this challenge, because it requires action in the Alps but has much wider trans-boundary effects in the whole of Europe. Considering the scale of the impact on Alpine water reserves which will be caused by climate change, there is a need to considerably scale up activities in this field. Cooperation with stakeholders implementing the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) should also be envisaged, as some of the States and Regions are covered by the two strategies. Finally, the existing cooperation, which already has a macro-regional nature, should be strengthened. Exchange of knowledge and good practice with other mountain areas, such as the Carpathian region, is relevant in this regard. In sum, there is no coherent international legal climate change framework for the Alps that addresses these questions. Concerning the governance needs beyond the given institutional framework, both dimensions of this action will focus on good cross-boundary coordination and harmonised policies. Moreover, this action will allow a better coordination between different political levels (integrating European, national and regional scale) and will cluster all relevant projects within one integrated action. The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: Examples of indicators and targets: Action 9: To make the territory a model region for energy efficiency and renewable energy This action focuses on promoting energy efficiency and the production and use of renewable energy in the Alpine Region, in line with the EU’s energy efficiency framework and the Energy Union Package. Energy policy in the Region focuses on energy efficiency in the public and private sectors. A significant reduction in energy consumption could be achieved, in particular in the housing sector. The Alpine Region has substantial potential for renewable energy production which must be developed in a balanced way, taking into account ecological, economical and land use issues and considering societal trade-offs. Regional characteristics The countries in the Alpine Region have a strong potential related to energy efficiency, in particular in the building sector. This provides an ideal framework for working together on innovative solutions for the Alpine Region. Due to the vulnerability of the Region to the effects of climate change there is a certain degree of awareness within the population concerning the need for saving energy. The Alpine Region developed several isolated energy efficiency solutions like highly energy efficient buildings or sustainable mobility solutions. Further, it is feasible to extend existing energy model regions to the whole area of the Alpine Region and thus create a model Alpine Region of modern energy efficiency. The Alpine Region plays an important role when it comes to the production of renewable energies providing hydropower, solar energy, biomass, wind energy and geothermal sources. The major energy resource available in the Alpine Region is hydropower, being one of the most important energy economic components. It is already used intensively in over 100 large hydroelectric plants with a total capacity of more than 28 Gigawatts [GW]. Added to this, the high number of smaller hydroelectric plants also has an impact on the Alpine ecosystem. In particular, hydropower has a high potential as an energy storage system (the ‘battery’ function – pumped storage hydropower). However, a balance of interests between energy policy, nature protection and land use purposes is crucial for the further prosperous development of the Region, also taking into account the different needs in mountain regions and plains. The Alpine Region will make a long-term contribution to meeting Europe’s energy needs and at the same time people in that Region need to have sufficient energy resources at their disposal to improve local living conditions and economic productivity. The need for action and its spatial macro-regional relevance This action addresses the entire EUSALP Alpine area, whereas in particular the solidarity aspect is relevant between rural and urban areas at a regional scale but also on a wider scale between core and peri-Alpine areas. The European Union has developed a comprehensive energy efficiency framework (COM(2014) 520 final) that rests on an indicative headline target of 20 % of energy savings by 2020 and is currently comprised of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency). As regards energy efficiency, an unbalanced expertise in the territory of the Alpine Region can be identified. In some areas of the Region there is world-leading know-how, whereas in other parts this still needs to be developed. This knowledge could be transferred thanks to a comparable territorial setting. A certain number of possible projects have the potential for visible short-term results. This will also help to raise political visibility in order to increase energy efficiency in the whole EUSALP territory. In addition to small-scale projects, the promotion of energy efficiency requires a wider framework which provides the needed legislative and financial support for the development of sustainable energy solutions. Support schemes and the legislative framework aimed at addressing non-financial barriers to energy efficiency differ from one country to the other, and not all countries in the Alpine Region have equally supportive policy frameworks. A crucial aspect of this action will be the setting of new impulses and leverage effects by combining currently individual measures to one integrated action (‘Energy efficient Alps’). According to the Energy Union Package (COM(2015) 80 final), the European Union is committed to becoming the world leader in renewable energy, the global hub for developing the next generation of technically advanced and competitive renewable energies. The EU has also set an EU target of at least 27 % for the share of renewable energy consumed in the EU in 2030. In the Alps, the coverage of energy demands by renewable resources with the aim of carbon-free production is a top priority. The Alpine Region is an ideal region to reach energy autonomy. In the light of the aim of developing into a model region for renewable energy, in a united exchange between the mountain area and the plains, it is of high importance to make use of the renewable energy resources in a smart way. This means taking into account ecological, economical and land use aspects but also considering social trade-offs. The acceptance within the population of the whole EUSALP territory is essential. Resource efficiency requires well-functioning networks, interconnections and interoperability. The action will help identify how developments in energy efficiency and renewable energy drive investment needs in energy infrastructure. Cross-border cooperation in the planning and development of energy infrastructure is addressed through national and European network development plans and the action will give useful feedback to these processes, e.g. in terms of helping to ensure that energy networks are suitably prepared for renewable energy. The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: Examples of indicators and targets: Links with other objectives The objective ‘A more inclusive environmental framework and renewable and reliable energy solutions for the future’ runs across the other three objectives of the Strategy. Its aim is to limit the ecological footprint of, for example, transport and energy projects. Another link to the other objectives is that it directs attention to how environmental quality can ultimately enhance prospects for smart and inclusive growth under the other objectives, for example making the Alps a circular economy hotspot and a case-study for other macro-regions. Furthermore, it contributes to sustainable nature-based tourism by ensuring preservation of natural resources and the cultural heritage on which tourism depends. This objective also contributes to bolstering the resilience of macro-region’s economies and societies in the face of existing and/or potential impacts of climate change. Among others, changes in temperature, precipitation and the frequency of extreme weather events will affect future energy production, transmission and consumption in the Alpine Region. Therefore climate change adaptation measures are required to increase the resilience of the energy sector at both the large-scale and household levels to changing climate conditions. Another strong link to the first objective, which comes from the Europe 2020 Strategy, is that investing in cleaner, low-carbon technologies will help our environment, contribute to fighting climate change and create new business and employment opportunities. There are other concrete conjunctions that concern the three other objectives even-handedly. An example is that the issue of ecological connectivity could be combined with ‘connectivity-actions’ in the areas of transport, social connectivity and jobs creation. This would mean developing the Alpine area from a territory of barriers to a connected roof of Europe. In sum, economic activity and transport have a significant impact on the environment in the macro-region; there are therefore strong links to the three other objectives of the Strategy. Support for the Europe 2020 Strategy The actions envisaged are expected to contribute to attaining a good ecological and environmental status for the whole ecosystems by 2020. Therefore, this policy area strongly supports the Europe 2020 Strategy: It contributes to smart growth by strengthening of technical and scientific capacities and establishment of common platforms and innovative solutions for research, observation and monitoring. The Strategy is also in line with the flagship initiative ‘Innovation Union’. With this initiative the Commission declared a strategic research agenda focused on challenges such as climate change and resource efficiency, environmentally-friendly production methods and land management, and to enhance joint programming with Member States and regions. It contributes to sustainable growth, in particular to the objectives of ‘A resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 Strategy’. The actions under this policy area will support efficient and sustainable use of natural resources, including preservation of biodiversity, habitats, ecosystems, water and minerals and will contribute to minimising the impact of climate change on ecosystems. Close cooperation with the Network of Energy and Managing Authorities (EMA), which brings together representatives from national energy authorities and from Managing Authorities and with the European Network of Environmental Authorities for the Cohesion Policy (ENEA), can contribute to sustainable growth. It contributes to inclusive growth by promoting stakeholder involvement in exploring sustainable options, including the involvement notably of farmers and all other relevant actors, thereby ensuring the economic and social sustainability of actions. Moreover, investments in the area of the third objective can provide great returns for the population of the macro-region in terms of growth and jobs. Taking appropriate actions to address environmental and energy issues faced by the macro-region will contribute to implementing the EU Environmental and Energy acquis and policy documents, in particular the Habitats and Birds Directives, the Water Framework Directive, the 7th Environment Action Programme, and the Biodiversity, Green Infrastructure, Soil, Forest Climate Change Adaptation Strategies, the Energy Union Package, the Energy Efficiency Communication 2014, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive. Furthermore, these actions contribute to the implementation of the Alpine Convention, which is also part of the EU environmental acquis, as the EU, together with all the countries involved in the Strategy, is a Contracting Party, and to most of its thematic protocols and related documents, such as the Climate Change Declaration and Action Plan.