Table 4 Results of citizen participation in four Dutch cases
|  | Alkmaar (NL) | Breda (NL) | Middelburg (NL) | Westland (NL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Size | 109,000 | 184,000 | 49,000 | 110,000 |
Participation in city climate networks | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Covenant of Mayors | Member | Member | Not member | Not member |
Klimaatverbond | Member | Member | Member | Not member |
Activity in climate networks | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Covenant of Mayors | Not used | Not used | N/A | N/A |
Klimaatverbond | Not used | Minimum use | Minimum use | N/A |
Climate goals | No CO2 emissions by 2050 | No CO2 emissions by 2044 | No CO2 emissions by 2050 | 95% CO2 emission reduction by 2050 (1990 baseline year) |
Initiator capacity | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Decision-making | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Â | Mild capacity to incorporate the interests of the local debate | High capacity to set higher climate ambitions than the central government | Low urgency in climate action. Scepticism in local communities over the implementation of sustainable energy | Low decision-making capacity. Low urgency in climate action. Unable to use citizens' input |
Implementation | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Financial resources | Some capacity to finance climate change policy. Heavily dependent on external sources | Some capacity to finance climate change policy. Heavily dependent on external sources | Limited capacity to finance climate change policy. Heavily dependent on external sources | Limited capacity to finance climate change policy |
Availability of staff | 5 Civil servants working on climate policy. Strong collaboration with other stakeholders | 8–10 Civil servants working on climate policy. Strong collaboration with BRES. Little outsourcing | 3 Civil servants actively working on climate policy. Tasks outsourced and strong collaboration with other stakeholders | 10 Civil servants working part-time on climate policy |
Knowledge | High internal knowledge | Some internal knowledge. Strong support from the Interreg 2 Seas project | Knowledge on citizen participation is low. A lot of knowledge is outsourced | Some knowledge on future climate plans and participation process |
Experience | High expertise | High expertise | Some expertise | Low expertise |
Accountability | Some degree of information transparency to citizens and other stakeholders | High degree of information transparency to citizens and other stakeholders | Low transparency. Information not easy to be found | Low transparency to citizens due to lack of information |
Purpose of participation | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Public body | - Comply with environmental law - Increase acceptability and ownership - Achieve higher support for projects | - Achieve higher support for projects - Exchange information and educate | - Exchange information and educate - Increase ownership and accountability - Improve quality of outcome | - Increase ownership and acceptability |
Citizens | - Greater voice and influence in projects | - Greater voice and influence in projects | - Greater voice and influence in projects - Obtain revenue growth | - Greater voice and influence in projects |
Type of stakeholders | Involve stakeholders from the supranational, national and city levels | Involve stakeholders from the supranational, national and city levels | Involve stakeholders from the supranational, national and city levels | Involve stakeholders from the national and city levels |
Methods for citizen participation | Consult citizens and stakeholders | Involve citizens and stakeholders | Consult citizens and stakeholders | Consult citizens and stakeholders |
Participation: stage of involvement | Citizens participate in local climate action. However, no monitoring of citizen activity | Citizens participate in local climate action. However, no monitoring of citizen activity | Limited citizen participation in local climate action | Low citizen participation in local climate action |