Lisbon is one of the EU Mission cities leading the way in sustainable urban governance and the green transition. The city has unanimously committed to becoming climate neutral by 2030 which requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 80% and investing in offsetting schemes for residual emissions. Reaching such an ambitious goal calls for innovation across all emission domains and new governance models to foster partnerships and initiatives that facilitate commitments for climate transition.
Green participatory budgeting
Lisbon is an internationally acknowledged leader in participatory budgeting. The city implemented this process at a municipal scale since 2008. This allows residents to have the power to decide how a part of the municipal budget is spent by submitting and voting on project proposals.
After having been awarded European Green Capital in 2020, Lisbon pushed for a more targeted approach to green participatory budgeting.
Lisbon City Council initiated its first-ever 'green' participatory budgeting in 2018, a pilot initiative supported and managed by South Pole and EIT Climate-KIC's City Finance Lab. At first, Lisbon decided to implement a one-year transition phase, adding a āGreen Sealā on projects that fit the criteria for climate action-related thematic areas in 2018/2019. Building on this experience, the city implemented a follow-up cycle in 2021 which focused on environmental sustainability, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the health and wellbeing of residents through eight thematic areas for eligible proposals.
The green participatory budgeting is organised through a hybrid model which includes in-person engagement through facilitated discussions/debates and a largely digital platform for submitting and voting on proposals. The proposal cycle typically lasts from May to November and is broken up into five different phases. This is followed by the implementation phase, which can last for one to three years or sometimes longer depending on the project.
In 2021, the Lisbon City Council committed a budget of ā¬2.5 million for this initiative. The city received 251 applications, from which 69 proposals went through for public voting. A total of 23 proposals were approved for funding, spanning across six thematic areas.
Besides the concrete projects implemented to address or improve specific issues in the city, the added value of the green participatory budget initiative is raising awareness about the importance of climate action. The direct involvement of local people instils a sense of shared responsibility and individual agency in changing the urban environment.
What were the key drivers supporting the implementation?
- Capabilities and relevant expertise: Long-term experience with participatory budgeting initiatives on a municipal level and mainstreamed process based on continuous learning was an important precondition for transitioning towards green participatory budgeting in Lisbon. Involving external experts in the pilot was smooth implementation.
- Political support and commitment: At the core of any participatory budget initiative is political support and financial commitment to allocate a portion of the municipal budget for citizen-led projects to improve the city and urban living. Lisbonās Climate Action Plan 2030 and related climate commitments allowed for defining thematic areas for the green participatory budgeting framework and choosing relevant proposals for voting and eventual implementation.
- Transparency and effective communication: Ensuring a transparent and fair process that is supported by an effective communication strategy is essential to empowering the residents and building trust between them and the municipality. The Lisbon City Council used a variety of communication tools and media outlets to raise awareness about the participatory opportunities and ran several information campaigns to establish and increase participation levels. Moreover, the website is a one-stop informative space, providing updates on the development of projects selected in previous cycles, enabling locals to monitor implementation and see the impact of collective participatory action.
And what were the challenges and barriers?
- Maintaining engagement: In Lisbon, the highest number of voters was achieved in 2016 (51,591), but it has gradually decreased since, with the last edition of the green participatory budget attracting only 14,128 votes. It has been hypothesized that many residents in Lisbon may not see an urgency in climate action.
- Lack of diversity among participants: Lisbonās experience shows that a certain age group and socioeconomic background dominate among participants. To avoid the projects proposed from representing the wishes of only one specific demographic, Lisbon diversified voting opportunities to de-digitise the process and increase accessibility to all age groups as well as making the information available in several languages.
- Maintaining funding: Lisbon initially committed ā¬5 million for the process. Since 2012, the allocated budget has been halved. Maintaining the same level of financial commitment is challenging.
- Limited private sector involvement: More needs to be done to cultivate private entities and local entrepreneurial involvement in green projects, as this could augment the scope and impact of the proposals implemented.
- Speed of project implementation: Implementing the winning projects in a reasonable timeframe is a continuous problem that can undermine the credibility of participatory budgeting.
Potential for replication
More than 1500 cities globally have implemented participatory budgeting as part of their citizen engagement initiatives, signifying a high potential for replication.
Cities with clearly defined environmental strategies and a willingness to empower their residents for climate action should consider pursuing such an initiative. However, the success will largely depend on political support and commitment, transparency, perceived effectiveness and timeliness of project development and implementation, influencing future participation and public satisfaction levels.
Lisbonās example provides many key insights for the implementation of the green participatory budgeting framework. For example, the adaptability of the model and the incorporation of the Green Seal pilot and transition period enabled a smooth transformation of participatory budgeting to green participatory budgeting.
As mentioned, the efforts to de-digitise certain features were essential to promoting inclusivity and increasing participation numbers. Lisbon has also directed efforts to simplify the information and guidelines related to participation and actively adjust its framework to reduce the barriers to participation and to encourage collective involvement in the pursuit of its vision for a greener city.
Examples of previous and current projects: https://lisboaparticipa.pt/pt/op/projetos-vencedores
Cabannes, Y. (2021), Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting: Answers to climate change from Lisbon, Portugal and Molina de Segura, Spain, Lisbon: CaĢmara Municipal de Lisboa; ZuĢrich: City Finance Lab; Amsterdam: EIT Climate-KIC; Paris: FMDV; Barcelona: IOPD; ZuĢrich: South Pole.