The Strategic Environmental Assessment as a “Front-Line” Tool to Mediate Regional Sustainable Development Strategies into Spatial Planning: A Practice-Based Analysis

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations calls upon all signatory countries to localize its goals through National and Regional Sustainable Development Strategies (SDS). As in Italy the SDS constitute the framework of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of Plans and Programmes (P/P), the question arises as to whether the SEA can represent a fundamental tool for SDS. Although the mutual relationship between 2030 Agenda goals and SEA is recognized in the literature, there is a lack of focus on SDS and SEA. The SEA monitoring system is an essential instrument to redirect P/P trajectories, although it represents a constant weakness of the SEA process. Opening a discussion about the relationship between SDS and SEA, the present contribution aims at assessing SEA monitoring potential in mediating the 2030 Agenda SDS’s objectives into P/P. To this end, the study delves into the SEA monitoring structure through a qualitative and comparative approach, the feasibility of which is illustrated by an application to a set of spatial plans. Results show both good potential and the criticalities of the SEA monitoring system, which allow us to outline practical inputs to update SEA monitoring guidelines and new paths to foster the mutual relationship between the SDS and SEA.

Territorial Governance for Sustainable Development: A Multi-Level Governance Analysis in the Italian Context

“…Although there is the importance of prioritizing and considering the theme of sustainable development as a pervasive and transversal target, i.e., a core value [4], the lack of a dedicated GD emphasizes the need of improving the governance framework within the regional administration, putting the SRSvS construction and implementation at the center of all other regional policies and actions in the hands of different GDs. This means that RSDS goals should become the basis of planning choices for the definition of plans and programs [26]. The flexibility required for reaching this goal may collide with the limited feasibility of adaptation of existing plans and programs to the RSDS vision, as well as with the complex interaction between different GDs.…”

“…Transversal aggregations within one public administration should be monitored over time and become flexible, according to the evolution of both its internal organization and its strategic objectives. This flexibility and dynamism should be increased both in the territorial climate governance and in sectoral plans and programs (i.e., in urban planning), in order to better integrate sustainability targets throughout the planning and action process [26]. which SMA are sufficiently faced by the authorities or, on the contrary, which SMA need to be better implemented.…”

COP 28 Water Agenda: Establishing a Dynamic Blue Economy in Brazil’s Amazon Region

“…The state must be very aware of designing and implementing policies and guidelines to address gender equity and also establish a pro-poor policy. In the case of the Brazilian Amazon, region making sure that native Brazilian communities and river side communities are being served and heard in their main concerns and demands (OECD, 2015;Frigione and Pezzagno, 2023;UN, 2023aUN, , 2023b.…”