Environmentally Sustainable Cities. Under the framework of the. East Asia Summit Environment Ministers Meeting CHAIR S SUMMARY

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1 3 rd High Level Seminar n Envirnmentally Sustainable Cities Under the framewrk f the East Asia Summit Envirnment Ministers Meeting CHAIR S SUMMARY The 3 rd High Level Seminar n Envirnmentally Sustainable Cities (HLS ESC), rganised by the Gvernments f Cambdia, Japan, Australia, and Thailand, and the ASEAN Wrking Grup n Envirnmentally Sustainable Cities, was held in Siem Reap, Cambdia n 6-8 March The Seminar was chaired by Dr. Vann Mnyneath (Deputy Directr General fr Technical Affairs, Ministry f the Envirnment, Cambdia) and c-chaired by Mr. Akira Nitta (Directr, Internatinal Cperatin Office, Ministry f the Envirnment, Japan), Mr. Andrew McNee (Assistant Secretary, Department f Sustainability, Envirnment, Water Ppulatin and Cmmunities, Australia) and Dr. Wijarn Simachaya (Directr General, Pllutin Cntrl Department, Ministry f Natural Resurces and Envirnment, Thailand). The Seminar brught tgether abut 230 participants cnsisting f representatives frm 14 natinal gvernments, 39 lcal authrities and 27 internatinal rganisatins fr infrmatin exchange, knwledge sharing and frank discussin n the agenda f envirnmentally sustainable city develpment thrugh Plenary and Thematic Sessins (Appendix A and B). The Seminar recalled the main utputs f the 1 st and 2 nd HLS ESC and the prgress made as fllws: The 1 st HLS ESC (2 4 March 2010, Jakarta, Indnesia) recmmended the fllwing activities as practical means fr prmting ESC develpment in the regin:

2 i. An East Asian Mdel Cities Initiative; ii. A clearinghuse fr ESC-related data and infrmatin; iii. A Public and Private Sectr Frum n ESC; iv. ESC Capacity Building Prgramme; v. EAS ESC Awards based n perfrmance indicatrs. The 2 nd HLS ESC (5 6 March 2011, Kitakyushu, Japan) welcmed the implementatin f the prpsed ASEAN ESC Mdel Cities Prgramme (Mdel Cities Prgramme), which was develped t fllw up n the five recmmended activities frm the 1 st HLS ESC. The prgramme was apprved and cmmenced implementatin a mnth later. The Seminar adpted this Chairs Summary as a recrd f the discussin and utcmes. 1) Frm the Plenary I (Outputs f the ASEAN ESC Mdel Cities Prgramme) (Appendix C), the Seminar nted the fllwing: a) Prgress has been made n realising the five activities recmmended by the 1 st HLS ESC as fllws: N Recmmended practical activities f the 1 st HLS ESC An East Asian Mdel Cities Initiative A clearinghuse fr ESCrelated data and infrmatin A Public and Private Sectr Frum n ESC ESC Capacity Building Prgramme Prgress made s far The Mdel Cities Prgramme was develped and began implementatin in April The prttype f the Sustainable Cities Asia Knwledge Hub was develped under the Mdel Cities Prgramme. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) was discussed in a Thematic Sessin f the 3 rd HLS ESC. 8 natinal gvernments and 14 cities received assistance fr capacity building and technical supprt fr ESC sectrs thrugh the ASEAN ESC Mdel Cities Prgramme.

3 5 EAS ESC Awards based n perfrmance indicatrs Australia is hsting tw EAS seminars in 2012 n Urban Sustainability Adapting t Change. Linkages were established between the Mdel Cities Prgramme and existing reginal (ASEAN ESC Award) and natinal award schemes. b) The Mdel Cities Prgramme has been synergised with existing natinal ESC framewrks in respective cuntries. Fr example, it helped t initiate and develp natinal ESC initiatives in Cambdia (a new natinwide ESC campaign and cntest) and Viet Nam (frmulatin f new natinal ESC criteria and indicatrs suited t Viet Nam s pririties). c) Selected cities (Phnm Penh, Siem Reap, Palembang, Surabaya, Xamneua, Kuching Nrth, Yangn, Maehngsn, Muangklang, Phitsanulk, Pal, Puert Princesa, Danang and Ca Lanh) f Year 1 f the Mdel Cities Prgramme have achieved visible prgress in their prpsed activities and are highly interested t sustain the prgramme int Year 2 synergising with cmplementary natinal initiatives, with the participatin f additinal cities and a bradened scpe f activities. d) Assistance t cities shuld be demand-driven and may be mre effective if pursued with structured and strategic appraches that match demand t supply. e) A prpsal fr extending the Mdel Cities Prgramme int Year 2 with an enhanced mdality and expanded scpe based n lessns learnt frm Year 1 is under cnsideratin within the ASEAN prcess. The ther EAS participating cuntries (Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic f Krea, New Zealand, United States and Russia) as well as supprting rganisatins have been encuraged t cllabrate in and prvide supprt t the prpsed extensin f the Mdel Cities Prgramme. 2) Participants als identified the fllwing key messages relevant t future activities f the Mdel Cities Prgramme frm the presentatins and discussin in the Opening Sessin, Thematic Sessins 1 and 2 (Appendix D, E): a) The key factrs fr efficient water supply management are: cmmitment t gd gvernance and

4 best perfrmance, investment in staff capacity develpment, independent and accuntable management and apprpriate tariffs t cver the csts fr prviding the water supply service. b) Cities play a crucial rle in building a lw-carbn future by prviding a cmprehensive system t demnstrate innvative, effective and replicable appraches, and cities shuld avid being lcked int unsustainable develpment pathways by embracing science-based leapfrg appraches and drawing n Asian wisdm and traditinal values. c) Natinal gvernments play a critical rle by creating an enabling envirnment fr lcal initiatives, including thrugh prvisin f apprpriate plicies, legal framewrks and guidelines, as well as identifying, scaling up and replicating gd practices and plicies in the lcal cntext. Indicatrs are imprtant fr setting the bjective mnitring and evaluatin mechanisms t measure actual prgress made by cities. d) Slid waste management (fcusing n cmpsting, bigas, waste-t-energy and the 3Rs), water supply, lw-cst wastewater management, land-use planning and urban greenery management are key pririty sectrs fr capacity building. e) Cncepts such as lw-carbn city, green grwth and climate resilient develpment are crucial fr prviding a hlistic crss-sectral framewrk in urban planning. Sustained plitical cmmitment fr shrt-, mid- and lng-term plicies supprted by strategic master planning is essential. f) City-t-city cperatin, such as twinning partnerships, is a feasible mdality fr capacity develpment, but requires a structured and strategic apprach t be effective. g) Easy-t-use mdelling techniques may be useful in helping cities cme up with apprpriate and cst-effective ESC practices and plicies. h) Adapting t climate changes, including disaster risk reductin, is an increasingly pertinent issue fr Asian cities, particularly thse in castal and lw-lying areas. Adaptatin shuld be mainstreamed int verall develpment planning and implementatin. i) The private sectr may cntribute t ESC develpment as a surce f expertise and efficiency, particularly fr enhancing urban infrastructure. Effective PPP arrangements shuld be servicedriven, allw flexibility and have shared wnership with clear delineatin f respnsibilities.

5 3) In Plenary Sessin 2 (Way Frward fr ESC Develpment in the EAS Regin)(Appendix F), the Seminar: a) Nted and appreciated the ideas and prpsals f Australia, Republic f Krea, United Natins Ecnmic and Scial Cmmissin fr Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Natins Centre fr Reginal Develpment (UNCRD), Centre fr Liveable Cities, Singapre (CLC), German Internatinal Cperatin (GIZ), Japan Internatinal Cperatin Agency (JICA), United States Agency fr Internatinal Develpment (USAID), Cities Develpment Initiative fr Asia (CDIA), Asian Institute fr Technlgy (AIT), CITYNET (The Reginal Netwrk f Lcal Authrities fr the Management f Human Settlements) and Institute fr Glbal Envirnmental Strategies (IGES) fr furthering ESC develpment and expansin in the regin and recmmended all stakehlders t explre pssible synergies amng each ther fr greater impacts and t minimise duplicatin f effrt and resurces. 4) The Seminar therefre: a) Suggested that the HLS ESC with its main aim f prviding a brad and inclusive platfrm fr all relevant stakehlders t exchange infrmatin, facilitate cllabratin amng diverse stakehlders be cntinued in the future n a regular basis, either streamlined with the Mdel Cities Prgramme (if extended), thrugh its reginal seminars and its city-fcused framewrk, r as a separate initiative supprted by the varius participating stakehlders; b) Recmmended that the EAS Envirnment Ministers encurage full cllabratin with, and prvide supprt t, the future implementatin f the Mdel Cities Prgramme and cnsider the rle f the EAS HLS ESC in the future; c) Encuraged EAS Envirnment Ministers, gvernments and ther stakehlders t rganise future activities t prmte ESC develpment, in particular thse prmting: i) natinal gvernments rle t prvide an enabling envirnment fr effective implementatin; ii) city-t-city t cperatin; iii) urban planning and develpment cncepts such as lw carbn cities, green grwth and climate resilient develpment; and iv) replicatin and scale-up f gd practices and plicies; d) Acknwledged that cities are the driving frce fr grwth and develpment f the regin and recmmended that EAS Envirnment Ministers re-affirm ESC as a pririty area fr reginal

6 cllabratin, building n the existing ASEAN framewrk, in particular utilising the established netwrks f the Mdel Cities Prgramme, as well as ther relevant reginal mechanisms and netwrks, fcusing n intensifying city-t-city cperatin and bradening engagement t cllabrate with ther stakehlders beynd the EAS EMM framewrk; e) Requested the Secretariat (IGES and/r ASEAN Secretariat as apprpriate) t reprt the Chair s Summary f the 3 rd HLS ESC and cnsult relevant stakehlders n pssible ways frward at the fllwing upcming meetings: 11th Meeting f the ASEAN Wrking Grup n ESC t be held tentatively in July 2012 in Manila, Philippines; 23 rd ASEAN Senir Officials Meeting n the Envirnment and the Officials Meeting fr the 3rd EAS Envirnment Ministers Meeting which are planned t be held in August 2012 in Cambdia; 3rd EAS Envirnment Ministers Meeting t be held tentatively in September 2012 in Thailand; Other relevant majr meetings and seminars pertaining t ESC. APPENDICES Appendix A - Cncept Nte and Prgramme Appendix B List f Participants Appendix C Summary f Plenary Sessin 1 Appendix D Summary f Thematic Sessins 1A, 1B and 1C Appendix E Summary f Thematic Sessins 2A, 2B and 2C Appendix F Summary f Plenary Sessin 2 (end)