Climate planning and governance in Hungarian cities

Abstract

In accord with several authors, we believe that cities have a crucial role in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. On the one hand, urban areas suffer the most from population density and environmental burdens, making urgent solutions essential in these spaces. On the other hand, the implementation of specific measures against climate change, such as the adoption of renewable energies, ecological architecture, and other green or smart solutions, is more feasible in urban settings. The awareness of carbon emissions reduction in Hungarian cities began in the late 2000s, highlighting the importance of climate governance at the local level. In 2018, following EU initiatives on adaptation and mitigation, climate protection at the local level became an essential requirement, leading to the development of urban climate strategies.

This research aims to gain a deeper understanding of city-level climate protection efforts over the past five years. This involves reviewing the circumstances that surround climate strategies and exploring the possibilities and limitations of climate planning and governance at the local level. Our study examines Hungarian cities’ climate protection concepts and measures. To achieve this, we rely primarily on the opinions of experts who actively contributed to the development and implementation of individual climate strategies. Based on our 21 in-depth interviews with officials, climate protection experts, and development planners of 14 cities, we explore climate governance's challenges, problems, and opportunities and the importance of climate strategies.

A notable outcome of recent Hungarian climate planning is the preparation of new climate protection documents at two spatial levels- county and settlement – in addition to the existing national strategies Local Climate Strategies have evolved beyond Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), reflecting an improved climate consciousness among settlements. However, our interviews reveal contradictions within urban climate planning, exacerbated by highly centralized administrative processes during the creation of local strategies. Our findings indicate that dependence on EU resources and centralization trends in climate governance limit local autonomy in climate protection and community climate management.  Standardization of climate strategies and a lack of local innovation challenge the credibility of commitments and goals outlined in urban climate strategies.