Klagenfurt: Regarding the city as an ecosystem

Abstract:

At the beginning of the 1990s the City of Klagenfurt started its systematic commitment to sustainability. A communal plan for the environment was published under the title „The Klagenfurt Ecosystem“ with the description of a wide range of measures in the fields of city planning, energy, traffic, waste management, administration etc. This plan is based on the idea that the city itself is an ecosystem with the same ecological laws as in other ecosystems. As town-dwellers constantly influence this system by their economic and social activities, the city has to ensure an ecological balance. The approach of the City of Klagenfurt can be characterised as a best practice case due to the following typical measures:

• setting-up an ecologically-oriented management system in local administration (Eco-Magistrat project),
• the introduction of a consultant project for small and medium-sized enterprises aiming especially at reduction and prevention of waste and emissions (Ecoprofit Klagenfurt project),
• drawing-up a health action plan,
• carrying-out environmental monitoring,
• the forthcoming implementation of a communal energy plan focusing an increase in energy efficiency.

Concept and aims

For the City of Klagenfurt the protection of the future is an obvious aim to guarantee health, social fairness and economic success under optimal environmental conditions. Having a look back at history, Klagenfurt is proud to be the first city in Austria with a district heating plant and a pedestrian area in the old town. The systematic engagement on sustainability began at the start of this decade when the Klagenfurt council decided to draw up a communal plan for the environment. In 1991 a communal plan for the environment had been published under the title „The Klagenfurt Ecosystem“. In the most important fields - city planning, traffic, energy supply, drinking water, waste management, waste water treatment and administration - many short, medium and long-term actions were described, including instruments for implementation such as legalistic instruments, economic incentives, grants, public relations, political initiatives and cooperation. This plan remains valid at the present time and works as a manual for a growing network of sustainable activities and programmes which are supplemented by several projects in other departments. In the first instance this strategy for the future was propagated by the Department of Environment.

The guide given by Klagenfurt´s communal plan for the environment is thought of as a guideline for the entire city. It is based on the idea that the city itself is an ecosystem with the same ecological laws as in other ecosystems. Here, the inanimate environmental factors, e.g. the climate, the hydrologic balance, the condition of the soil, are interrelated to the living world of nature, e.g. fauna and flora. The town-dwellers in particular, with their many and diverse activities, influence this ecosystem. Therefore it is characteristic for the urban ecosystem that its quality depends on economic, social, cultural and political circumstances. To a certain extent this system is capable of self-regulation but in consideration of today´s ecological problems the inhabitants themselves have to bring adequate and specific measures into action. Altogether the traditional interpretation of the city as an administrative, economic and cultural centre has to be enlarged by the idea of the city as an ecosystem.

As the „Klagenfurt ecosystem“ is continuously subjected to changes caused by the activities of its inhabitants, the city has to ensure ecological balance. In doing so, an integrated approach is decisive that involves all relevant sectors. Generally, this also means consideration of aspects like global dimensions, integrated processes, consequent checks of benefits and risks as well as ecological planning in all sections. The aim is the continuous minimisation of environmental pollution in air, water, soil, and noise abatement according to the principle of prevention.

Implementation

According to the „The Klagenfurt Ecosystem“ communal plan many sectoral projects are under discussion or have already been initiated. In the following special projects will be presented that are characteristic for Klagenfurt´s sustainable approach:

1. The Eco-Magistrat:

The „Eco-Magistrat“ project started as early as 1992. Step by step each area of public procurement was examined and ecological deficiencies were identified.

By setting up an ecologically-oriented management system the city aims to improve the co-ordination of activities and responsibilities which are connected significantly with sustainable development. An important step is the implementation of ecological administration, i.e. the orientation towards environmentally sound departmental work. For example, this includes ecological rules for procurement and energy books for every building owned by the municipality.

Generally, administrative co-ordination between the departments should be strengthened in order to reach conformity in ecological objectives. In the case of sectoral problems special responsibilities have been fixed indeed, e.g. there is a doctor for environmental affairs, a deputy for waste management, an urban ecologist, an urban biologist and an environmental pedagogue. A co-ordinator for energy matters will be installed soon. These experts are constantly involved in the considerations of the town-councillors. In the context of the communal energy plan the establishment of a communal energy management is planned. Furthermore, measures in the field of traffic, health protection and social affairs are being presently discussed.

In order to stimulate further ecological activities by the inhabitants and in private companies, the City of Klagenfurt wants to serve as a model for good practice. The information on its measures are continuously spread by an intensive public relations campaign.

2. Klagenfurt Ecoprofit

The „Klagenfurt Ecoprofit“ project has been running since 1994 and is a consultancy project for the green economy with special interest in small and medium-sized enterprises. It was initiated by the Department of Environment with WIFI, the Carinthian innovation centre. The project aims at supporting the companies pursuing integrated environmental management practices and in switching to cleaner production methods. The central objectives are to encourage environmental prevention and co-operation while at the same time ensuring company profits. According to the slogan „Advising and promoting instead of regulating and punishing“ there is close co-operation between voluntarily recruited companies, the Klagenfurt Magistrat and a study group at the Graz Technical University.

The companies are instructed in a systematic analysis of production processes in nine workshops and by additional advice on the spot. The programme is especially targeted towards reduction and prevention of waste and emissions. The input-output analysis examines the used materials and substances as well as the products. In addition, the organisational and communicative structures are part of the analysis as integrated environmental management practices are going to be introduced.

In most cases the suggestions for improvement are implemented immediately. It became clear that the majority of these measures are profitable or at least cover the true costs. In the first phase six companies from Klagenfurt were awarded the ECOPROFIT label by the Magistrat. In consequence, this recognition also improves the company´s public image. Presently, the second phase is going on involving about further 10 companies. The programme will continue during 1997. At the moment its extension to the whole of the province of Carinthia is being discussed. In addition to the Ecoprofit project the City of Klagenfurt is supporting the companies in carrying out eco-auditing initiated by the EU.

3. An epidemiological study and environmental monitoring

The project on the epidemiological situation started in 1995 and has drawn up a health action plan in consideration of environmental facts.

The results of the environmental monitoring are published in several ways. For example, the local TV company´s information channel broadcasts actual air quality on-line every half-hour. More than 13,000 households in the city can use this service on air pollution. For very sensitive problems like CO₂ - or noise emissions in the inner parts of the city special measuring programmes have been installed. The University of Klagenfurt is commissioned with integral air measures. For water protection the Department for Environment, the Department for Health and the municipal company for drinking-water supply have joined in a common monitoring project.

4. A communal energy plan

In May 1995 the city council ordered the Department of the Environment and the municipal services to develop a communal energy concept for Klagenfurt with the aim working out of an action programme. This action programme implies an environmental as well as an economic approach and is already available as a draft. It is divided into different parts and aims at an increase of energy efficiency in all energy-related fields. By stressing feasible and sensible measures this action programme differs from conventional energy concepts. This means that there must be clear objectives and ideas for implementation, especially greatest feasibility, the costs and the effects. By setting priorities and following the principle of efficiency, Klagenfurt wants to put those most important measures into action from which the best benefit can be expected.

The development of the concept started with stock-taking which drew conclusions about energy and emissions in Klagenfurt. The stock-taking identified the main consumer groups (e.g. industry, households, public buildings) and the purpose of energy consumption (heating rooms, mobility, using electrical appliances). One important result of the stock-taking was the necessity to develop measures in the field of heating rooms. About 50 per cent of the overall energy consumption in Klagenfurt is used for this purpose. It also turned out that the aspect of energy generation (e.g. renewable energy sources, mobility and lighting) is another important field of action.

The energy programme intends to involve all relevant acteurs in the City of Klagenfurt. In this context, the key acteurs are the Magistrat and the Klagenfurt municipal services. These are going to give impetus to a new energy approach. The formulation of the programme follows an interdisciplinary approach involving professional workshops for specific topics. For example, the workshop on room heating aims at developing elements for achieving better energy efficiency in Klagenfurt. In this context, energy efficiency means that the same energy goals can be achieved by lower energy consumption. The saving of energy for heating rooms also causes a significant reduction of emissions of harmful chemicals like CO₂ , SO2, CO, HC and NOX.

Results and implementation

The period from 1992 to 1996 was evaluated in the form of a balance based on the communal plan for environment. In consequence, this plan will be prolonged with distinct emphasis on those deficiencies identified. The balance mentioned shows that in the most important fields many measures which have been proposed in „The Klagenfurt Ecosystem“ have been executed or are carried out permanently. For example, the habitat mapping of wetlands (finished in 1994) will be extended to all habitats next time. The Eco-Magistrat and Ecoprofit Klagenfurt projects will be continued as well as the communal energy plan. For buildings owned by the municipality an energy book is in progress.

A comprehensive geographical monitoring system for the environment is in planning. Concerning the communal energy plan a draft has already been formulated. It is divided in different elements that sum up reasonable and practicable activities. In future the high ecological standard, which has been reached meanwhile in Klagenfurt, will be improved continuously by creating a Local Agenda 21.

Actors and Structures

The Klagenfurt Ecosystem manual was drawn up by an interdisciplinary team and includes the viewpoints of all relevant departments. As the Klagenfurt administration is splitted into more than forty departments and therefore co-ordination is a difficult task, overlapping consultations and working groups were established. Such organisation forms have been installed in sectoral projects like the Eco- Magistrat, the Klagenfurt Ecoprofit, the communal energy plan and the traffic plan.

The inhabitants of Klagenfurt are often involved systematically in the planning of sectoral programmes (e.g. implementation of new measures of waste management, noise protection, health campaigns, traffic measures) by interrogations or discussions in the affected districts. These instruments will be extended continuously. In the case of large projects - e.g. the drawing up of a communal energy plan or a city marketing plan - theme-orientated working groups have been installed. Further working groups exist for the fields of energy and traffic in the context of the climate agreement. The participants of these groups always come from different sides - from the municipality as well as from the academic and business fields, NGOs or pressure groups of citizens.

A very close co-operation exists with the City of Graz (the capital of the Austrian province of Styria), especially in managing the Ecoprofit project. Hereby, common events and common publications are organised. Further contacts exist to many other Austrian cities and institutions and are used to exchange experiences on a regular basis.

Finance

As far as the action programme on energy efficiency is concerned, investments in the order of three- figure millions are planned.

Source of Information

Magistrat der Landeshauptstadt Klagenfurt 1996: Auszeichnung ´95/96 Klagenfurter Ökoprofit-Betrieb

Magistrat der Landeshauptstadt Klagenfurt (Hrsg.) 1991: Das Ökosystem Klagenfurt - Umweltkonzept für die Landeshauptstadt Klagenfurt, erstellt von Wolfgang Hafner / Gerhard Weihs

Contact:

Cities:

Klagenfurt:

Klagenfurt is the capital of Carinthia in southern Austria and the centre of administration, economy, education and culture. The city has approximately 90,000 inhabitants who live in an area of 120 sq km. It is a winter sports resort in a scenic mountain area and is also the marketing centre of a rich mining and agricultural region. Manufactured items include textiles and leather goods. In Klagenfurt there are 4,872 companies and about 56,000 employees altogether (35 % in public service, 24 % in industry and manufacturing, 19 % in trade, 13 % in property, 9 % in others).

Population:

Project was added at 23.01.1997
Project was changed at 10.03.1998

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