Lack of Political Commitment
City leaders are faced with a range of challenges at any given time and there is a tendency for emphasis to be placed on (often short-term) challenges perceived as more “pressing” such as economic growth, jobs and housing, etc. Considering the long-term benefits that tend to be associated with NBS, this can present a further challenge, particularly in the context of short-term political cycles. It was reported that in some cases, NBS and greening solutions are perceived as expensive and luxury “nice to have” elements rather than being framed in a way that reflects their relevance for core political mandates such as climate change adaptation or ensuring the health and wellbeing of citizens. Therefore, the appeal of NBS can be low for some politician.
In some cases the topic of “sustainability” has established some prominence on the agenda amongst decision makers, but NBS are not usually integrated into this agenda. More focus tends to be placed on climate change mitigation (rather than adaptation) through the reduction of carbon emissions, neglecting the wider benefits associated with NBS.
In addition, there is a still limited willingness to pioneer and take risks in testing new concepts in most cities. The potential backlash of negative outcomes eventuating from experimentation with a new approach lends to a risk averse administration, focusing on priorities that are tried and tested.
However, experiences from the UNaLab partner cities demonstrate that if framed correctly, NBS and urban greening can be a very powerful topic for politicians during elections, demonstrating the importance of capitalising on policy windows.
Related Governance Actions
Development of shared visions
An important building block of long-term planning approaches begins with the development of a collective vision. Cities will struggle to define precisely how the city will be in the distant future, but the process of actively and collectively defining what the city should become can support as an effective “guiding star” for urban actors to work towards.
Embedding NBS in existing plans and strategies
The action-oriented approach of developing “solutions” differentiate NBS from the other concepts in that it can be employed at a means for actors to achieve existing objectives.
Development of a resilience strategy
In order to effectively respond to anticipated future changes, cities need to undertake strategic action today to enhance their resilience in the future.
Awareness campaigns
Raising the awareness of local stakeholders and citizens is vital to implement successful NBS programs.
Introducing incentives to enhance private sector engagement
Feedback from UNaLab partner cities suggests a strong impression of insufficient regulations and/or incentives in place that encourage local businesses to develop, implement or invest in NBS. Furthermore, whereas public green is mostly being financed and maintained through the city administration, there is a need to also encourage private land owners to develop and invest more in NBS.
Issuing green bonds
Green bonds are similar to regular bonds, the difference is that the capital raised by green bonds is used for projects with positive environmental outcomes. The revenues for green bonds can be achieved through various means ranging from public budget allocations to market returns.