OFFICIAL USE

Terms of reference

Policy Dialogue Assignment

Green City Action Plan, Tirana

1Background

Green Cities Initiative and Green Cities Action Plan (GCAP)

Cities are dynamic and vital parts of society and are the main engines of social, economic and technological development. According to the UN, around half of the world's population now lives in urban areas, and by 2030 this is likely to exceed 60 per cent of the global population.

In order to provide their populations with the myriad of demanded services, cities need inputs of large quantities of resources. As such, cities are a source of significant environmental impacts. For example, research indicates that cities already account for up to 70 per cent of energy use and 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, figures which are set to rise over time. Furthermore, major environmental concerns for cities range from the quality of air and traffic congestion to pressure on limited green space, land and water resources. Urban activities, and how they are organised deeply affect the environment, and the overall quality of life of urban populations.

These urban issues are particularly acute in EBRD’s COOs. For example, the EBRD regions’ energy intensity is up to three times greater than the EU average (EIA, 2015). This energy inefficiency is reflected in the poor energy performance of both public and private buildings in urban areas. Also, many cities in EBRD COOs produce municipal solid waste that ends up in landfills that “are simply dumpsite areas where the municipal services (or contractors) pile up or simply deposit waste” (UNECE,2010). In addition, recycling of waste in COO urban areas is negligible compared to an EU average of 39 per cent (European Environment Agency, 2015) and an EU target of 50 per cent of municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling by 2020. Furthermore, residents of cities in the region are exposed to much higher levels of urban air pollution than other populations.

For the sustainable development of green cities it is critical to recognise the relationship between environmental aspects and economic and social issues. This thinking is also very much in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (UN 2015) and particularly the Goal 11 calling for governments to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

In urban areas, EBRD has a proven record helping cities invest in climate adaption and mitigation and resource efficiency. In 2015, the Bank financed 45 projects in 39 cities and municipalities through its municipal and environmental infrastructure division (41 transactions in 2014), representing a total EBRD commitment of €708 million (€726 million in 2014). These investments ranged from investing in public transport infrastructure, new or upgraded water supply and waste water treatment, energy efficient district heating solutions and municipal solid waste projects. More than 35 million people are expected to benefit from these initiatives, while reducing 878,000 tCO2e per year.

In 2015, the Bank further extended its environmental focus under the Green Economy Transition (GET). Through the GET, the EBRD has a target of delivering 40 per cent of its annual investments in ‘green’ projects by 2020.

Governments, civil society, businesses and the donor community have many actions underway to attempt to address the worst of these many urban issues. However, these actions have generally been undertaken in an ad hoc manner. Occasionally, systematic approaches have been attempted (for example developing Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) under the Covenant of Mayors), but these have only addressed one part/sector of the problem (energy in the case of SEAPs).

It is critical for the quality of life of urban populations in the Bank’s COOs that these multiple urban issues are addressed in a systematic way. Taking a broader strategic view of urban environmental challenges has a number of benefits including:

Providing input to optimising the allocation of a City’s limited financial and personnel capacity to those issues with the greatest environmental benefits

Enhancing the possibilities to attract donor co-finance and support when it is clear how a specific project fits into the broader priorities and road map for environmental improvement in the city.

In response to this context, the EBRD has begun the development of a Green Cities Initiative. As a core part of this Initiative, the Bank worked with the OECD and ICLEI to prepare a methodology (the Methodology) for the development of Green City Action Plans (GCAP). The Methodology is designed to guide a City through 5 main steps of the development and implementation of a GCAP – from establishing a Green City Baseline, developing a vision, preparing the GCAP, implementing the actions and reviewing progress. The EBRD is looking to engage a consulting team (the Consultant) to apply the Methodology and develop a GCAP for the City of Tirana (the City or the Client).

GCAP for Tirana

After the end of the communist system in 1991, rapid urbanisation took place in Tirana, the capital city, accommodating a rapid increase in migrants from rural and mountainous areas. By 2008, the population of Tirana reached 640,000, from 250,000 in 1989, or an increase of almost 270% in just nine years. This resulted in serious urban problems such as shortages in infrastructure, particularly in housing. Many rural migrants illegally settled in the surrounding areas of the urban centre or in protected green areas where no sufficient water and power supply systems are provided, and where solid waste is managed poorly, resulting in significant degradation of the urban environment. Urbanization is still in progress, and it is predicted that the city’s population will reach one million by 2025. It is thus urgent for urban developments in the transportation, water/sewerage, and solid waste management sectors, in particular, to keep up with the increasing urban population.

Air pollution was caused by predominantly by industry in the Albanian cities before the 1990s, when road traffic wasinsignificant. Yet, air quality monitoring and studies carried out in the last two decades have indicated that air pollution from particulate matter is the main problem of the air quality in Tirana, andthis pollution is especially high close to areas with a great traffic density. Many of the cars in Tirana are old with bad technical conditions and about 80% of them run on diesel that releases particulate matter 20 times higher in volume than petrol engines. Besides carbon monoxide, major pollutants caused by vehicles include Pb, S, CO2, NOx, O3 and SO2. There has been some improvement recently as result of measures undertaken to control the air pollution sources and improvements made in infrastructure. However, there still are about 70,000 vehicles registered in Tirana, about 30% of the nation’s total. With about 90% of the capital costs from the road transport, compared with 5% for rail and 2.5% for marine and aviation, air pollution remains a main environmental and social concern. To achieve CO2 emission reduction amid the anticipated continuing rapid growth in transport demand, the City of Tirana has been promoting sustainable transport development that is more resources efficient and environmentally friendly, such as supporting a multi-modal integrated transport development.

The City of Tirana, moreover, is vulnerable to the impact of climate change. It is situated in the central part of Albania and has a maritime Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. During the last decade, the City has experiences heat waves and heavy precipitation and floods due to the changing climatic conditions, and is projected to experience an increase of 1⁰C in annual mean temperature by 2045, combined with longer and more frequent heat waves.

In response to the growing urban and environmental challenges, the Municipality of Tirana (MOT) adopted an urban development plan, titled the “Urban Regulatory Plan in Tirana Municipality” (URPTM) in February 2013. URPTM set the vision, directions, and outlines of future development based on a needs assessment and situation analyses of Tirana. However, no concrete action plans for urban utilities and infrastructure was included, although separate sector plans are in development. An adaptation strategy has also been developed, although not yet approved by the City Council.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the City of Tirana in November 2015, and further endorsed with the Mayor during the Green Cities Conference in Tirana, EBRD has agreed to support the Municipality to develop a Green City Action Plan for Tirana that will comprehensively assess the priorities for the City’s sustainable development in the short- and medium- term, encompassing all sectors under the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition approach, while proposing concrete actions, plans and roadmap that will lead to effectively achievingmeasurable results.

2Objectives

The overall objective of this Assignment is to apply the Methodology and assist the City of Tirana to develop a Green City Action Plan that is signed off by the City Council.

Specific objectives of the assignment shall include, inter alia:

  1. Assist the City to become familiar with the Methodology and to establish the necessary leadership team for applying the Methodology;
  2. Support the City identify the key stakeholders for the assignment, including main contact points of each entity, responsible for contributing to the development of GCAP;
  3. Support the City in their stakeholder engagement;
  4. Assist the City to understand the external conditions that need to be considered in the development of the GCAP;
  5. Gather data and calculate selected indicators and prepare an indicators database;
  6. Map the existing policy framework that will have an impact on the development of the GCAP;
  7. Prepare a technical analysis of indicators against established benchmarks, and to submit it as a technical report;
  8. Assist the City to conduct broad stakeholder consultations (including both bilateral meetings and consultation group meetings, depending on the need) to complement the indicators analysis;
  9. Assist the City to select the priority issues for action;
  10. Assist the City to set strategic objectives for the priority areas;
  11. Support the City to determine the key programmes that will address the priority areas;
  12. Assist the City to identify the most appropriate responsible entities for each action/programme/measure;
  13. Assist the City to review existing policies and to select new policy measures;
  14. Work with the City to prepare an indicative investment plan;
  15. Prepare a draft Green City Action Plan and presentation;
  16. Prepare a draft monitoring plan for the City; and
  17. Prepare a final report summarising lessons from the process.

3Scope of work

The Consultant will

Familiarise themselves with the Methodology;

Work with the Client to apply steps I (Green City Baseline), II (Green City Programme), III (Green City Commitment) and 4.2.1 (Setup monitoring scheme) of the Methodology as outlined in the tables below. The Consultant will be expected to facilitate and conduct the bulk of the work in the development process for the GCAP. However, since the GCAP will be ‘owned’ by the City of Tirana, it is expected some tasks will be led by the City with the Consultant providing support. The respective roles of the Client and Consultant for each step in the Methodology are outlined below.

In summary, the Consultant will produce the following deliverables all integral to the Green City Action Plan:

Step / Task / Output
I / 1.1 / Inception report including notes from kick-off meeting
1.2.2 and 1.2.3 / Indicators database
1.3.1 and 1.3.2 / Technical assessment report and presentation
1.3.3 / Prioritisation report describing results of tasks 1.3.1, 1.3.2 and 1.3.3
II / 2.1.1 / Strategic objectives report
2.1.2 / Report on proposed key programmes
2.2.1 -2.2.5 / Report including review of existing policy options and new policy options
II and III / 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 and 3.2.3 / Green City Action Plan and presentation
4.2.1 / Monitoring plan
I-III / Training and capacity building / Three one-day training workshops for City officials
Final report

Training and capacity building

In addition to the steps and tasks described above, the Consultant will provide training and capacity building for City officials. This training and capacity building will take the form of 3 one-day workshops at a time to be agreed by the Client. The workshop topics will also be agreed with the Client, but are likely to cover systematic planning for green cities, statistics and data collection, and monitoring and verification reporting.

4Deliverables

The following deliverables from each Task will be required:

Tasks (relating to Table 1 steps) / Deliverable / Date (weeks after contract signing)
1.1 / Inception report including notes from kick-off meeting / 4
1.2.2 and 1.2.3 / Completed indicator database / 12
1.3.1 and 1.3.2 / Completed technical assessment report and presentation / 16
1.3.3 / Completed prioritisation report describing results of tasks 1.3.1, 1.3.2 and 1.3.3 / 24
2.1.1 / Completed strategic objectives report / 28
2.1.2 / Completed report on proposed key programmes / 36
2.2.1 -2.2.5 / Completed report including review of existing policy options and new policy options / 40
2.3.2, 2.3.3 and 3.2.3 / Completed Green City Action Plan and presentation / 48
4.2.1 / Monitoring Plan / 48
1-3 / 3 Training and capacity building one-day workshops / 52
Final report describing the assignment and containing in Annexes material from all tasks including tasks 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 2.3.3, 3.3.2, 3.3.3 and 4.2.1 / 56

All deliverables except 1.1 and the Final report will be delivered in English and Albanian.

The following disclaimer shall be added to the inside cover of all deliverables:

”This [document/presentation] was prepared by the [Consultant] solely for the benefit of the City of Tirana and may not be relied upon by any third party. Any views, opinions, assumptions, statements and recommendations expressed in this [document/presentation] are those of [consultant] and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tirana. The EBRD nor the City of Tirana do not accept any responsibility whatsoever with regard to any claims of any nature by any third party relating, directly or indirectly, to EBRD’s role in selecting, engaging or monitoring the Consultant and/or as a consequence of using or relying upon the services of the Consultant (unless determined by final judgement of a court of competent jurisdiction to have been the result of gross negligence or wilful misconduct of EBRD).”

5Implementation arrangements

The Consultant shall report on a bi-weekly basis to the Operational Leader, Sung-Ah Kyun, Tirana EBRD Office and Nigel Jollands of the EBRD’s Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Team (joint Operation Leaders for this assignment).

The duration of the Assignment will be 15 months.

6Consultant profile

The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms with previous project experience in:

a) management of similar assignments;

b) measurement of environmental performance and improvements and development of sustainability plans for cities; urban planning, climate change and environmental policies and regulations; applied cost-benefit analysis and/or related multi-criteria analysis; private and public financing on related green-/ and brownfield projects; incorporation of environmental, economic, social and gender aspects in the development of green/sustainable city agendas;

c) working with municipalities in EBRD countries of operations (preferably in Albania) in connection with urban sustainability and both national and local municipal regulations.

The Consultant’s experts team is expected to include:

- Key Expert(s) No. 1: Technical Expert(s) with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience in energy and resource efficiency (covering energy, transport, roads, industries, buildings, district-heating, lighting, municipal services, solid waste, water and wastewater and land-use sectors), climate mitigation (incl. GHG emissions accounting), climate adaptation (risks analysis), environmental sustainability (incl. biodiversity), climate and urban technologies, and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV).

- Key Expert(s) No. 2: Policy Expert(s) with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience, with expertise in policy advisory to national and local government bodies/agencies and business and civil communities, including on the subjects of low-carbon growth, urban planning and municipal infrastructure and services, energy and resource efficiency policy, climate mitigation and adaptation, governance and institutional capacity building, environmental and social policy, technology and innovation, stakeholder and civil engagements, business and government policy, MRV policy and best practices and regulatory reforms.

- Key Expert(s) No. 3: Economics and Financial Expert(s), with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience, with expertise in financial analysis and modelling/forecasting, (public) budgeting, (international) project financing, municipal infrastructure and transport investments, economic growth and employment analysis, carbon finance and behavioural economics.

- Key Expert(s) No. 4: Legal Expert(s) with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience, with expertise in municipal laws and regulations (incl. on urban development, energy, waste, water etc.), energy and environmental laws and regulations, public procurements, related EU Directives and regulations, social welfare and MRV regulations.

- Key Experts(s) No.5: Environmental and Social Expert(s) with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience in air pollution, biodiversity, urban green space and land-use, public health, urban and social services, gender, civil engagement, behaviour and awareness raising and social resilience.

- Key Expert(s) No.5: Local Expert(s) with preferably more than 5 years of previous professional experience, with expertise in policy advisory to municipalities on subjects of green cities/sustainable development/city resilience, excellent knowledge of the municipal laws/regulations in relation to the national laws/regulations, strong technical and financial understanding, project finance, stakeholders engagement, capacity training and awareness raising, and excellent communications and presentation skills both in English and Albanian.

7Donor requirements

All documents, including training and marketing material and online resources, produced in relation to the project should mention donor support and include the use of the donor’s logo, when appropriate.