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Towards Sustainable Development Indicators As a Tool of Local Governance

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Towards Sustainable Development Indicators As a Tool of Local Governance Towards Sustainable Development Indicators as a tool of local governance 1 Department of Political Science Umeå University, Sweden Research report, 2007:5 ISSN 0439-0831 ISBN 978-91-7264-416-8 © Eva Mineur Printed by: Print & Media, Umeå University, 2002352 2 Eva Mineur Towards Sustainable Development Indicators as a tool of local governance 3 4 Abstract Beginning in the 1990s, sustainability indicators have rapidly been developed in different political contexts to measure progress towards reaching sustainable development. Pre- vious research has largely focused on developing models and criteria for defining indi- cators in order to identify scientifically sound systems. However, sustainability indicators represent more than pure aggregated data; they represent values. This thesis takes its departure in seeing indicators as socially constructed, and aims to explore the role(s) indicators play in governance for local sustainable development. The traditional environ- mental policy discourse characterised by rationality and efficiency became challenged in the 1990s by the Agenda 21 discourse, emphasizing the need for citizen participation for environmental governance. Notions of efficiency and participation are, however, often in conflict since achieving participation is time consuming and efficiency requires results within short time frames. Thus, a tension in governance is created which is especially apparent at the local level and in politics relating to sustinable development. In this study, Sweden is seen as an extreme case in terms of implementing sustainable development policies. Swedish local authorities have been at the international forefront in developing sustainability indicators. Here, the work surrounding seven different sustainability indicator systems in three Swedish municipalities is analysed. The overall research question relates to the tension in governance: Are the sustinability indicators driven primarily by efficiency or participatory claims? The analytical framework combines two different, yet linked theoretical approaches: an institutional approach, which captures the organizational arrangements of the indicator systems; and a discourse inspired approach, shedding light on underlying notions and ‘problem’ representations embedded in the indicator systems. Interviews with politicians and local officers and written mate- rial serve as the main empirical sources. The analysis shows that local sustainability indicators vary to a great extent regarding their scope, which implies that sustainable development is interpreted differently depend- ing on the local context. In general, goals linked to ‘soft’ issues like democracy, awareness raising and learning tend to be less indicated than ‘hard’ issues such as pure natural scientific measures. Oftenmost, participation is interpreted in its ‘weak’ form, that is stakeholders and citizens are being informed about political decisions taken or are invita- ted to attend meetings. Many politicians express concern abut participatory methods that aim for empowering citizens, claiming that this is in conflict with the idea of represen- tative democracy. Surprisingly, the more participatory driven indicator systems have not become established in the municipal organisation despite the involvement of many different stakeholders in the developing process. In contrast, the more efficiency driven systems, have been internally anchored but involved very few external stakeholdes in the process. These latter systems are therefore most likely to be used and implemented. In general, politicians’ trust in expert knowledge in policy making is high and it is difficult to involve citizens in that process. Also, because work with sustainable development issues in general, and indicators in particular, is largely seen as projects rather than processes, the efficiency ideal prevails in local policy making – maybe not in rhetoric, but certainly in practice. Keywords: Sustainability indicators, policy discourse, sustainable development, public participation, institutional arrangements, indicator design, local governance, Swedish environmental politics, implementation. i ii Acknowledgements Several years ago I asked my thesis if she, one day, wanted to became a hero together with me! She did not sound very convincing when she whispered yes. Though, today we certainly are the heroines praised by Bowie in one of his masterpieces. And it feels great! But to be honest, I have dual feelings about leaving this work behind. On one level it feels extremely relieving to finish the book and free the mind for new exciting adventures. On the other hand it feels a bit sad to set the final limit for the never-ceasing stream of thoughts and ideas that writing this thesis encourages. No more new per- spectives or additional angles to the arguments will be included in the text. This is of course good news to my two supervisors who have struggled to make me straggle less in the texts and focus more. Now, when it is all done I am grateful to both of you for made me (mostly) go for the latter alternative. Professor Katarina Eckerberg initiated the project but has since, benignly let me design and formulate my own approach to the work. Katarina has offered me great support and supervision throughout the work and, on a personal level, showed me that writing a thesis is not life but a part of life. Belonging to the ultra ambitious and determined yet never satisfied cadre of females born in the mid-seventies this insight might have been the most valuable and important one learned during this years. A warm thanks to you! My other supervisor, Nick Aylott who entered the process after a couple of years has since been a constant source of clarifying comments and questions that have indeed benefited the text. You have undoubtedly sharpening my mind as well as my arguments. During the last six months both of you have been incredibly supportive and willingly read new “final” drafts whenever I asked for. This has been deeply appreciated. Even though I consider writing a thesis a very lonesome effort, in the end of the day there are some people’s competence and professionalism that you will have to rely on to finish up the work. A special thanks to Viveca Jonsson who has always been helpful regarding all kinds of administrative inquires that I have faced during the years. Christina Boström did a great job editing the text. Working at distance and communicating through email in the last hectic weeks before the book is printed requires efficiency and professionalism and Christina holds both these qualities. A special thanks also to Joyce McLaren Loring who corrected and certainly improved the iii language. Linda Karlberg, Theresé Andersson and Susanne Alldén helped me transcribe some of the interviews, thanks! To my fortune I had the possibility to be invited by Professor Yvonne Rydin to join her international research project, Pastille. I attended several conferences and project meetings around Europe and developed a good understanding of the phenomenon of sustainability indicators. I would like to thank the whole research team for including me in your group, especially Nancy Holman and Vicky Hands. Professor Rydin also welcomed me to stay a semester at her department at the London School of Economics in London. To get the chance to participate in these two international research communities during the doctoral studies has been invaluable inspiring to my research. Very special thanks to Yvonne Rydin who gave me these experiences! Thanks also to Professor Susan Baker for encouraging and inspiring conservations about how to understand the essence of sustainable development politics. Collective thanks to all colleagues at the Department of Political Science that have attended the weekly seminars and providing me many useful comments on my texts and great general discussions. In particular Anders Lidström who has always been curious and supportive to my work. Anna Zachrisson and Anders Hanberger did a great job on the final draft which certainly improved the manuscript. Thank you both! I am grateful for have had the chance to be part of an inspiring PhD community during these years. Warm-hearted thanks to ALL of you, both former and present “community members”. Although, some of you deserves a special thanks: Camilla Sand- ström for caring so much, Lovisa Hagberg for your enviable integrity, Magnus Blomgren for your kindness, Theresé Andersson for your “Doroteian” naturalness and Thomas Larue for your ingenious soul and crazy wisdom. The initial research project was financed by FORMAS (later Naturvårds- verket) and grants from Sven and Dagmar Saléns Foundation and J C Kempe Memorial Found for Scholarships made the LSE visit possible. Sometimes money does make the difference! During the last year, Katrin Dahlgren encouraged me to start to get paid for the unique competence writing a PhD provides you with. I am very grateful to you for joining me into the “world of business”. I consider this to be my way of contributing to the University’s “Third Task” – to communicate research with the outside world. Fortunately my “outside” world has been knocking on my shoulder every time I started to be too stuck to the work. IKSU SJJ “Samurais” deserves credit. I really miss you! Thanks also to family and friends. Especially, Karin Mineur and Martin Berglund, you have been with me all the way and I am so proud of both of you. Kristina Lindholm, Johanna Dahlin, Johanna Jansson and Sofia Jonsson will always remind me of happy iv days. Sofia Palmgren Buffay and Anna Hartelius have known me for so many years, thank you for being so good friends. Thanks also to Lisa Jerkert who is the creative force behind the nice cover design, but also one of my rarest friends. I dedicate this thesis to the two most important persons in my life, together they make it all worthwhile. My wonderful partner Oskar and our son Jack, you both embody my idea of happiness and joy. Stockholm, October 2007 Eva Mineur v vi Contents Abstract i Acknowledgements iii Contents vii Figure and Tables ix Abbreviations xi 1. Introduction 1 Indicators as construction 3 Problem, aim and research question 5 A Swedish context 6 Outline of the study 6 2.
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