ENCOURAGE: sharing experience in environmental management in the business parks of “new towns” in

Ile-de-France (France) in partnership with Southeast Wales (United Kingdom); Hertfordshire (United Kingdom); Zuid- (the )

SYNTHESIS

The inter-regional ENCOURAGE1 partnership aims to promote environmental management practices in the business parks of five European new towns by adapting a management method used for green buildings in the French region of Ile-de-France. ENCOURAGE is a six year project (2002-2008) co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the INTERREG IIIB programme initiated by the Syndicat d'Agglomération Nouvelle (SAN) from Sénart (Ile-de-France) in partnership with Southeast Wales (Torfaen, UK), Hertfordshire (Stevenage, UK) and Zuid-Holland (Zoetermeer, the Netherlands).

The project partners expect the exchange of environmental management practices and strategies in the business parks of new towns in Europe to: - reduce the ecological footprint of new towns in Europe; - reinforce green infrastructures; - develop transferable approaches to urban planning and sustainable development issues.

New towns in France, and in Europe more generally, have developed original approaches to bridge the gap between the environment and economic development. These towns have had to plan and build schools and other public facilities very quickly to keep up with the arrival of new inhabitants. This has been both a problem and an opportunity. They have progressively developed new tools making such growth sustainable, such as environmental charters, but in the same time they are concerned to keep pace with economic development. The aim is therefore to create a tool that promotes both sustainable development and supports the economic growth of new towns.

Based on a European partnership, and centred around a range of dissemination of information, training and education activities, ENCOURAGE’s showpiece development projects were: the eco-building at the Polytechnicum in Marne-la-Vallée (south of )2; an alternative transport route in Val Maubuée; an eco-building in Torfaen; a paper recycling and waste minimisation scheme for small businesses in Stevenage; and an environmentally friendly energy system in the Oosterheem business area in Zoetermeer.

One of the main results of the project and the benefit of being a trans-national project is the creation of a European Charter with the objective of developing economic activity in a sustainable and long-term manner. A second important result is a publication of the lessons learned for the policy makers. This document is called the European Trans-national Document (ETD) and aims to be a toolbox for policy decisions. A third result is the

1 http://www.encourage-eu.org/ 2 http://www.polytechnicum.org/ established permanent network between partners, universities and experts involved in the project.

Sénart, having learnt much from the ENCOURAGE project’s experience and results, will develop a new generation business park, the first of its kind in the Ile-de-France region. Environmental protection will be fully integrated into the park’s conception, implementation and management. It will, first and foremost, be dedicated to eco-activities and activities that are ecologically responsible. This pilot project, called “écopole”, will bring both private and public (research laboratories) activities together in one unique centre on 80 hectares. It will be available from autumn 2007 and it should create 3,200 jobs3.

Background information

Countries: France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium Region: Ile-de-France (Paris and surroundings - France), Southeast Wales (Torfaen – UK), Hertfordshire (Stevenage – UK), Zuid-Holland (Zoetermeer, the Netherlands)

Project title: Encourage (cross-fertilisation of environmental management practices in the business parks of new towns in Europe)

Key words: regional cooperation; energy efficiency, waste disposal and recycling, environmental technologies; transfer of technology; urban areas

Duration of project: February 2000 – June 2006

Funding: total budget €9,377,000 ERDF contribution €5,050,000 New towns budget €4,327,000

ERDF Objective: INTERREG IIIB

3 http://www.senart.com/web/29942.htm

2 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

ENCOURAGE is a six year project (2002-2008) initiated by the “Syndicat d'Agglomération Nouvelle” (SAN)4 of Sénart, in the suburbs of Paris. The project has received €5.05m in financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under INTERREG IIIB towards a total budget close to €9.4m. The main objectives of this inter-regional project are the transfer of knowledge and expertise in the field of environmental management of business parks. One of the main ideas behind the initiative is that “being cleaner and greener will not only be good for the environmental quality of business parks in new towns, but will also make them a more attractive location for firms”.

The trans-national dimension of the project is brought by the international team of experts who determine precise environmental indicators for each New Town, provide their input on the implementation of the various investments but also draw lessons from these later to establish a future European Environmental Charter for Business Parks. The long-term objective is to disseminate the charter and disseminate the Encourage approach through established networks such as the European New Towns Platform (ENTP).

The project includes five main pilot actions: 1) Demonstration of “environmentally friendly” practices through eco-buildings; 2) Creation of a joint waste management and recycling system; 3) Use of renewable energies; 4) Development of alternative transport systems and corporate transport plans; 5) Landscape recovery.

The construction projects include the following initiatives: - ENCOURAGE’s showpiece development project is the “eco-building” at the Polytechnicum in Marne-la-Vallée (south of Paris). This building integrates a number of environmentally friendly technologies including rainwater harvesting, energy efficiency, modularity, recycled products, natural materials, passive ventilation and natural light. Activities also cover the surroundings of the building: improvement of the signs posted on cycle routes; enhancement of biological corridors running into the town to help promote biodiversity; and making the business park easier to navigate by curbing the erection of unsightly advertising boards. - SAN Val Maubuée (a public consortium of 10 cities in the suburbs of Paris) is also developing an alternative transport route that will link up with the existing network of cycle, pedestrian and roller-skating paths. A corporate transport plan is being developed, promoting car sharing and providing shuttle buses to and from the train station. This work has borrowed heavily from the experience of ENCOURAGES’s Dutch partner in leading an awareness raising campaign to increase cycling and public transport use.

4 The SAN (Syndicat d’Agglomération Nouvelle) is Sénart’s political and administrative body. Its 37 town councillors are elected within the Municipal Councils of the eight communes which constitute the new town. The San plans and builds schools and other facilities made necessary by the arrival of the new inhabitants. It manages the town’s economic development, including the creation of an incubator of businesses. The municipalities chose to transfer to the San areas such as water, transport, the management of business parks, the environment and, recently, actions concerning culture, sport, etc.

3 - Torfaen Council is constructing a timber and straw “eco-building” which can be easily mounted and dismounted on Cwmbran’s Springvale Industrial Estate. The incorporation of features, such as wind and solar power generators, rainwater harvesting systems, passive ventilation and energy efficient lighting are all designed to minimise the building’s environmental impact. - In Stevenage, ENCOURAGE has helped to launch a paper recycling and waste minimisation scheme for small businesses with thirty companies signed up so far. - The objective of the Zoetermeer energy project was to create an environmentally friendly energy system in the Oosterheem business park in Zoetermeer (Netherlands) consisting of: hot springs to pump up groundwater from a depth of about 120 metres; cold springs for regeneration; a network of pipes for the transport of water; heat pumps, which raise the temperature of groundwater by 40°C; heat exchangers which transfer heat or coolness in the buildings. The objective of this project was to obtain a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions in the business park.

With the support of the European New Towns Platform (ENTP)5 the project brings together nine partners from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. The partners are local and regional authorities, research organisations and an European association.

The partners include the following organisations: - San de Sénart, Lead Partner, Ile-de-France, France; - San du Val-Maubuée, France; - Torfaen, Borough Council, United Kingdom; - Stevenage, Borough Council, United Kingdom; - Zoetermeer, The Netherlands; - Polytechnicum, Marne-la-Vallée, France; - Belgian CERAA School of architecture, Belgium; - TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), the Netherlands; - European New Towns Platform, Belgium.

The main beneficiaries of the project are SMEs and local residents of the concerned regions as well as the new towns in Europe and the business parks given the environmental dimension of the project.

The added value of being a European project is related to its two main transnational expected results: - developing and approving the European Environmental Charter for New Towns, establishing an ISO14001 certification for business parks and developing new standards for eco-buildings, and - the European Transnational Document (ETD), which is a synthesis document bringing together the lessons learnt during the project. Its aim is to be used as a support for environmental project managers in municipalities. The structure is derived from the themes covered by the investments in the project in order to provide clear guidance for applicant for similar investments.

5 http://www.newtowns.net/

4 A long-term aim is that tenants will be able to “sell” the environmental quality of their business locations to customers. The objectives of the project are also to promote environmental management practices particularly through public/private partnerships between local authorities and businesses located in business parks.

2. POLITICAL AND STRATEGIC CONTEXT

New towns in France and in Europe tended to be planned and built very quickly. This has been both a problem and an opportunity. Questions arose as regards sustainability of new urban areas both in environmental and economic dimension. The aim of this project was, therefore, to share experience between new towns and create tools that promotes sustainable development and supports the economic growth of the young urban areas across different countries.

In case of the project leader the motivation behind the project was to promote the Sénart’s approach and the French ‘high environmental quality’ (démarche Haute Qualité Environnementale) method within the local territories, the Paris and other French regions and further European territories. The town of Sénart was created only in 19736 bringing together eight municipalities. The SAN (Syndicat d’Agglomération Nouvelle) is Sénart’s political and administrative body managing economic development, including the creation of a business incubator.

ENCOURAGE is based on the long experience of “Charters for environmental quality in business parks”. The environment has been a major issue in Sénart ever since its origins. Gradually the environmental quality charter was applied to business parks. Each project partner of the ENCOURAGE project was asked to make suggestions and comments on the Sénart charters, to discuss them and to adapt them on a trans-national level. Each partner integrated its own key actions and specific themes.

ENCOURAGE explicitly refers and contributes to a wider regional economic development strategy and policy (today called “eco-region”). For example, in June 2005, a framework agreement was established between three public actors in the Paris region (San de Sénart, ARENE, and the public establishment for housing in Sénart). This partnership is developed around “Charters for environmental quality in the business parks”. The two main actions since 2005 are the development of a document establishing the terms of reference for property developer actions and the design and implementation of a future “eco-pole” (a new business park in the suburbs of Paris), which constitutes one of the main objectives of the ENCOURAGE project.

ENCOURAGE is also a part of the project to change Ile-de-France region into an “eco- region”. Through the “eco-region” concept, supported by the regional and local public authorities, it is possible to imagine a new basis for regional policy and to create a dynamic of human development in harmony with nature. The application of this concept is now a prerequisite to any regional planning in the Ile-de-France and Paris. The main actions performed in the ENCOURAGE project are used as one of the starting points for the concrete project of “Eco-pole”.

6 Sénart has 100,000 inhabitants; 33,000 dwellings; 800 inhabitants/km2; 30,000 jobs; 2,400 businesses; 9,500 hectares; 47 bodies of water and 3 parks.

5 3. IMPLEMENTATION

3.1. Project design and planning The idea of the ENCOURAGE project came from Sénart’s first experiences in the field of ‘high environmental quality’ (démarche Haute Qualité Environnementale) and its application to business parks. As these experiences were innovative and transferable to other European regions, Sénart took an initiative to design and coordinate a new project. The role of the European New Town Platform in the creation of the project idea and its design was also particularly important. It provided the backbone for disseminating the project results as well as trans-national level training actions to implement best practices in other new towns.

ENCOURAGE was selected based on the following main strengths: - the original environmental approach: business parks take into account sustainability, results exploitation and transferability issues from the design phase; - the specificity of the new towns’ dynamics and needs; - the existing public-private partnerships with SMEs (co-building of environmental charter and application: signature of the protocol), universities (expertise, creation of a master degree at the Polytechnicum), and of course local authorities: the regional council, local authorities (French departments) and municipalities.

Several feasibility studies were carried out beforehand in order to reduce the potential project risks. A major risk considered during the selection process was the time needed by the municipalities to carry out the investments on schedule (building construction, urban reorganisation), taking into account the political constraints and agendas. Another minor anticipated risk was potential change of people in charge of the project implementation.

The investments and the activities were kept to schedule thanks to the continuous political support in the towns. This required many meetings between project actors, policy makers and politicians.

The evaluation and monitoring system is based on the permanent financial control and external auditing (every six months) from the beginning of the project. This system is also based on a set of quantified targets and performance indicators, which is under TNO’s responsibility.

3.2. Management, monitoring and evaluation system The project manager was recruited by SAN Sénart. The position was advertised in the press in order to recruit a professional with a considerable experience in working on the EU co-funded projects in the environmental area. The project manager is in charge of the financial aspects and making sure that there are no gaps in the action plan. In total, the project manager has participated in over 20 meetings to carry out financial assessments (one meeting roughly every six months).

During the six years of project duration about 40 meetings, including steering committees, have taken place between the project partners. These different meetings give regular updates on how each project was doing as well as expanding the methodological or

6 technical aspects. In the framework of a number of seminars the partners addressed a range of common concerns: - sustainable development indicators for business parks, recycling of industrial waste or subsequent activities; - creation of Environmental Charters for Business Parks, the ways and means available to make businesses aware about respecting the environmental conditions for the sustainable development in their business park; - alternative and non-polluting transport modes; - use of high environmental quality method and construction criteria for “ecobuildings”; - creation of environmental corridors in the business parks.

The evaluation aspect was also taken into account from the beginning. This task belonged to the TNO. A set of quantified targets and performance indicators were developed. TNO is at present also carrying out a survey in order to assess the results of the project.

TNO worked on sustainable indicators for the different ENCOURAGE project investments including participation of selection of indicators and monitoring data collection process. The measurement covers issues such as: air quality, waste management and reduces waste, soil protection, environmental noise, greenhouse gas emissions, use of energy, use of renewable energy sources, use of combined heat and power, use of non-renewable resources, re-use and recycling of materials, environmental performance of enterprises and development of ecological corridors. A large number of visits to “eco-buildings” and other constructions were also carried out in order to support the definition of both general and project specific indicators.

Besides the ordinary problems of construction delays, there were no other major management difficulties met during the course of the project. Due to the economic recession in Steevenage only one unpredicted problem arose during the project. As the number of tenants in the business park was only half its forecasted level, the politicians and the project managers decided to cut by half the targets of one of the investment projects related to the paper recycling and waste minimisation scheme.

3.3. Governance: partnership and leadership New towns are by definition at the centre of the project, however, the network of experts and universities were also largely involved in the project. The key partnerships were formed, above all, between the participating towns, which often worked with each other bilaterally.

The main role of the local municipalities was co-financing the investments (“eco- buildings”, urban reorganisation) as well as setting an example for the business sector in the environmental domain by leading awareness campaigns. The other partners were mobilised taking into account their expertise and experience.

The main interest for the new towns participating in this project is to benefit from a transfer of experience, knowledge and know-how in the area of business park development. Each action involves forging new partnerships with the private sector, underpinned by an acknowledgement that purely legislative solutions to environmental problems do not suffice.

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Political support has remained strong over the project’s lifetime and this stability is without a doubt one of the key factors of project’s success. This continuity was achieved through sustained discussions about the common objective to try to adapt and extend the HQE method in all the new towns in France and in Europe.

3.4. Innovative elements and novel approaches to implementation The project is innovative as it is focused on new towns that share similar problems and opportunities. The project manager considers that bringing together four new towns in Europe to work on this type of topic has never been done before. These towns have to plan and build a variety of buildings and infrastructures within a very short timeframe and within a limited budget, all the while respecting the environment. The new approach is based on the trans-national transfer of knowledge and expertise for similar problems.

The project partners had not worked together before the start of the project. The collaboration is predominantly based on the specificity of new towns and the other partners’ areas of specialisation. There were numerous exchanges in order to reduce the heterogeneity of the different approaches, funding procedures, cultures and practices.

An original approach was also used for public relations. A communications expert was hired whenever an event was organised (press release, creation of support material for the communication).

3.5. Key implementation obstacles and problem-solving practices Three main obstacles were experienced during the project’s implementation. A first obstacle was to stimulate partners to invest on time and to anticipate their spending and investments. In order to avoid delays in investment, presentations on the guidelines for financial procedures were given to help partners proceed in accordance with the action plan.

Secondly, raising awareness about sustainable development on a day-to-day basis is hard work but it is also considered as the most important process to change behaviour little by little. The ENCOURAGE partners argue that a high level of investment in a business park must be a trigger for the users (workers, business leaders, councillors) to strive to improve sustainable development of the area. To really take the environment fully into account in a business park, the project partners also think it is necessary to work through public-private partnerships. In order to be able to help businesses apply the charter, the SAN of Sénart hired a specific person whose job was to inform and advise on environmental questions. There was no specific demand from the private sector for this but rather the need to convince the enterprises to progressively change their behaviour while maintaining their productivity in order to contribute to a sustainable development

Other difficulties that arose during the project were linked to producing trans-national documents rather than the different investments (eco-buildings etc.). Due to different expectations, fears, pressures and cultures, it turned out to be quite difficult for the project partners to work as a group. This problem has been solved through a very human process of discussions and numerous meetings to increase trust and understanding.

8 4. INNOVATION RESULTS

The document entitled “European Environmental Charter” is the first result of the trans- national project. It is both a method to encourage public-private partnerships, and an expected result that can be transferred to other regions. The ENCOURAGE project method and results can be not only be transferred to new projects but it is also possible to create new local development projects based on the Charter.

The Environmental Charter will be an official document signed by councils, tenants and the owners of an area. Environmentally friendly rules that must be respected from its conception through a project’s everyday activities are defined in this document. It encompasses all sustainable development themes: energy, runoff/rainfall, transport, green space management, waste, and industrial risk. Each article of the Charter was discussed, trying to strike a balance between environmental quality and affordability for businesses.

It has been gradually understood that the environment is of primary importance in developing economic activity in a sustainable and long-term view. SMEs are “vulnerably compliant”, which means that they do not know enough about environmental legislation to ensure that they always comply. Important reasons for SMEs to engage in environmentally responsible activities include market demand (basically through subcontracting relationships) or the strategic choices. “Ethical” considerations are less relevant driving force as far as the environmental domain is concerned.

In this context, the objective of the charter is to encourage business and employment in business parks by establishing a sustainable business environment with companies located in business parks. This is done through a voluntary environmental charter. Importantly reducing resource consumption and waste generation enhances economic performance as well as a better overall environmental performance of production companies.

A second direct innovative result is the “European Trans-national document” (ETD). The ETD is a knowledge support for the elected officials in European new towns. It contains up-to-date information about EU legal framework on biodiversity, transport, energy and eco-building, waste management as well as technical advise and good practice in the field.

The ENCOURAGE project partners worked with a number of investments that went beyond current “standards”. Since the investments were done in various towns and in various themes, it made it possible to derive added value from the ENCOURAGE project which originated from this trans-national element. The ETD aims to describe openly the findings of the project in order to maximise the effect for others to detect the factors that led to both successes and failures. The project partners conclude that the ETD is a set of lessons learned aimed at the policy makers.

An indirect innovative result achieved within the framework of the ENCOURAGE project is that the University of Marne-la-Vallée has created a Master’s in Urban Engineering with the speciality “sustainable urban development” at the Polytechnicum in Marne-la-Vallée. The ENCOURAGE project leader is responsible for the programme.

9 5. SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY

5.1. Sustainability The project will continue after ERDF funding ends. Through the variety of actions carried out in cooperation with the ENCOURAGE project, the knowledge networks of new town actors have been considerably strengthened (share of experiences and expertises etc.) even if this has taken longer than was expected at the beginning of the project.

Today, the project is part of a regional approach that dates back to the middle of the 1990s. The project is considered a success and a large number of initiatives observed in regions and in other new towns in France are based on the its actions and results.

Ile-de-France region will continue to develop the concept of “eco-region” and “eco-pole” (business park for businesses relating to sustainable development and renewable energies), and several new towns have already contacted the ENCOURAGE project partners in order to get inspiration for their own development projects, particularly the charter.

5.2. Transferability The individual innovative elements and the whole project are applicable to the entire region in which each new town is located and transferable to other regions. ENCOURAGE adapted the French ‘high environmental quality’ method used for “green” buildings to the reality of business parks. In this perspective, ENCOURAGE produced two main trans- national outputs (“European Environmental Charter” and ETD) which are transferable across European regions and countries and may contribute to the process of innovation through sharing of expertise.

All the activities, documents, meetings and seminars, and results are advertised within the specific website of the project, and through the activities of the European New Towns Platform (ENTP).

6. CONCLUSIONS: MAIN SUCCESS FACTORS

The key success factors related to planning, governance, management and implementation should be mentioned: - numerous contacts between the partners before the project starts so that the actors get to know each other (in this case, the role of the European Network of New Towns in Europe was very important); - the guarantee that the action plan is approved by all partners and regular meetings take place to adjust the objectives and the timing of the activities; - the development of internal guidelines for administrative procedures, particularly for financial issues; - the implementation of a quality system including feasibility studies (before and during the project), permanent financial monitoring and regular meetings between actors (including policy makers and experts);

10 - the unconditional support of policy makers particularly those interested in the development of “eco-business” parks in the perspective of the “eco-regions” development; - the organisation of public relations and promotional events, by mobilising a specialist of public relations.

PROJECT CONTACT DETAILS

Contact person

Name: Frédérique Vinay Position: Project coordinator Organisation: Syndicat d'Agglomération Nouvelle de Sénart

Address: Hôtel de la Communauté 100 Rue de Paris - BP 6 77567 Lieusaint Cedex

Telephone: +33 (0)1 64 13 52 44 +33 (0)1 64 13 53 60 Fax: +33 (0)1 64 13 53 61

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Website: http://www.encourage-eu.org/ http://www.senart.com/web/18605.htm

The information contained in this case study is up to date as of: September 2007

This case study has been prepared by Yann Cadiou in the framework of a study carried out by Technopolis Group on behalf of the European Commission. The contents and views expressed in this case study are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the European Commission.

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