Subnational climate entrepreneurship: innovative climate action in California and São Paulo

The distinct role of subnational governments such as states and provinces in addressing climate change has been increasingly acknowledged. But while most studies investigate the causes and consequences of particular governments’ actions and networking activities, this article argues that subnational governments can develop climate action as a collective entrepreneurial activity. Addressing many elements explored in this special issue, it focuses on the second question and identifies climate entrepreneurship in two subnational governments—the states of California (USA) and São Paulo (Brazil). Examining internal action, as well as interaction with local authorities, national governments and the international regime, entrepreneurial activities are identified in the invention, diffusion and evaluation of subnational climate policy in each case. The article draws from the recent scholarship on policy innovation, entrepreneurship and climate governance. It contributes to the literature by exploring entrepreneurial subnational government activity in addressing climate change and expanding the understanding of the effects of policy innovation at the subnational level

Areas of environmental concern in the Netherlands

Veel woongebieden in Nederland ondervinden milieuproblemen. Vooral de grote steden hebben last van geluidsoverlast en vervuilde lucht, door hoge concentraties fijn stof, stikstofdioxide en omgevingslawaai. Deze problemen spelen vooral in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht en Noord-Brabant. Dit blijkt uit een globale kwaliteitinventarisatie door het RIVM van de milieuproblemen in 2008. Hierbij werd gekeken naar de kwaliteit van lucht, geluid en bodem en naar lokale risico's op het gebied van externe veiligheid. Per postcodegebied staat op de kaarten aangegeven welke milieuproblemen zich daar voordoen en hoe ernstig ze zijn. Deze kaarten en onderliggende gegevens zijn te raadplegen op: http://geodata.rivm.nl/gmr/gmr.html De kaarten zijn bedoeld voor beleidsmakers, planologen en de lokale bevolking. Zij bieden een overzicht van de gebieden waarin aandacht voor het milieu nodig is. Daarnaast hebben ze een signalerende functie voor nieuwe ruimtelijke ontwikkelingen, zoals grootschalige nieuwbouw op milieubelaste onbebouwde locaties. Deze milieukwaliteitinventarisatie omvat voor het eerst alle postcodegebieden in Nederland en niet alleen de stedelijke gebieden. Bovendien is een aantal geluidaspecten toegevoegd: luchtvaartgeluid, windturbinegeluid en de kans op geluidhinder door grote industrieterreinen. De inventarisatie is niet uitputtend, nog niet alle milieuaspecten zijn tot dusver in kaart gebracht. Dit geldt onder andere voor straling, mogelijke risico's door hoogspanningsleidingen of lokale geluidproblematiek door bedrijven. Ook groepsrisico's (externe veiligheid) en asbestverontreiniging konden nog niet worden meegenomen.Many residential areas in the Netherlands experience environmental problems. These are particularly evident within the major cities, which suffer from the effects of noise pollution due to increasing exposure to noise in the surroundings and air pollution, resulting from fine particles and nitrogen dioxide in the air. The cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht and the Province of North Brabant are specific examples of areas where such environmental problems play a major role. This is the conclusion drawn by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) based on an inventory it carried in 2008. The inventory comprised an assessment of air quality, noise, soil and external safety risks and is presented as a set of colour-coded maps and associated data. For each postal area in the Netherlands, the maps show the type of environmental damage occurring and the number of dwellings exposed. The postal maps and results are available at: http://geodata.rivm.nl/gmr/gmr.html. The maps provide policy makers, urban planners and local populations with a comprehensive overview of the residential areas urgently needing attention from an environmental standpoint. They can also be used for global assessments of new development plans. This inventory is the first of its kind to provide quantitative environmental data on all postal areas in the Netherlands - and not only on urban regions. A number of parameters associated with noise pollution have also been included, such as noise from airports, noise risks from large industrial areas and wind turbine noise. The inventory in its present form is not conclusive as some environmental aspects remain as yet unsurveyed. These include possible risks arising from exposure to radiation, power pylons and other (local) industries. Accumulated safety risks to specific groups and asbestos pollution could also not yet be included.VROM-DGM-LM