2.4 OESO policypaper Zuid-Holland.pdf

Around the world, cities are perceiving recovery efforts from COVID-19 as an opportunity to challenge current models and implement bold changes towards more sustainable, equitable and resilient societies (OECD, Cities Policy Responses to COVID-19, 2020). The COVID-19 crisis has exposed existing vulnerabilities and inequalities, while the drastic disruptions to

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46  our previous way of life during lockdown has made people more ready to accept radical changes. The time may therefore be ripe for a more holistic strategy for the future of Zuid-Holland. One example of a holistic recovery plan is that of Milan (Italy). In its Adaptation Plan 2020, it is using recovery from the crisis to question fundamental characteristics and expectations of the city and its scale, and addressing the need for increased wellbeing. The key questions raised for its approach to the recovery include: “Which societies and which communities do we want to be and to build after the crisis?; Is it our main goal just to come back as fast as possible to what we had 'before’?; Are we looking to 'benefit' from the crisis and take a leap forward to improve our city and quality of life?” (OECD, Cities Policy Responses to COVID-19, 2020). ZuidHolland can use the momentum from this massive disruption to implement more in-depth changes that cut across several pillars and policy areas jointly. The JGA also mirrors many of the priorities of the European Commission’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which aims to help the EU emerge stronger and more resilient from the current crisis. The Facility will provide an unprecedented EUR 672.5 billion of loans and grants in frontloaded financial support for the crucial first years of the recovery.

The Commission has identified seven flagship areas through their relevance across the EU and their potential to create jobs and growth and reap the benefits from the green and digital transitions in which investments are strongly encouraged. These are: 1. Power up – The frontloading of future-proof clean technologies and acceleration of the development and use of renewables. 2. Renovate – The improvement of energy efficiency of public and private buildings. 3. Recharge and Refuel – The promotion of future-proof clean technologies to accelerate the use of sustainable, accessible and smart transport, charging and refuelling stations and extension of public transport. 4. Connect – The fast rollout of rapid broadband services to all regions and households, including fiber and 5G networks. 5. Modernise – The digitalisation of public administration and services, including judicial and healthcare systems. 6. Scale-up – The increase in European industrial data cloud capacities and the development of the most powerful, cutting edge, and sustainable processors. 7. Reskill and upskill – The adaptation of education systems to support digital skills and educational and vocational training for all ages. (European Commission, 2020).

The JGA does already address several of these flagship areas, most specifically the promotion and development of future-proof clean technologies and renewables (areas 1 and 3) and the reskilling and upskilling of the population (area 7), showing that Zuid-Holland is on the right track for recovery and growth in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Concentrating some effort on the remaining flagship areas, for example by addressing energy efficiency in buildings within the “Accessibility and housing” or “Transition to a low carbon economy” pillar, or including the digitalisation of public administration and services and broadband rollout in the “Knowledge and innovation economies” pillar, would benefit the JGA and Zuid-Holland.

Aligning the JGA and post-COVID 19 recovery strategies Even though the JGA was initially not designed as a recovery strategy, it has significant potential to reinforce the recovery strategies developed at local and provincial level. For MRDH, the JGA serves as the main long-term economic recovery strategy as it covers the two main areas that constitute its mandate: transport and economic development. The Province is currently developing a long-term recovery strategy and the JGA is planned to be part of it. Local governments such as Rotterdam and The Hague are also in the process of developing their long-term strategy, which will aim to align with the JGA while tackling specific local challenges. Due to the collaborative way it was designed and the key priorities it is targeting, the Joint Growth Agenda could help serve as a unifying framework for the future of the region, broadening

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 47 from a purely industrial strategy to a more holistic policy agenda. Coherence and synergies between the JGA and other strategies will be key to make the most of limited resources and achieve recovery.

Using the JGA as an agile and flexible tool for recovery and resilience The JGA supports the vision of the region to achieve economic sustainability and regional integration at three scales: within the region, at the national level, and at the European and international level. It is based on long-term targets with concrete project proposals. Although it was not intended as a recovery plan, its success requires a certain degree of flexibility to adapt to a fast-changing socioeconomic environment. The implementation of JGA projects will also ultimately be conditioned to the support from the national investment fund. Beyond securing funding, monitoring the implementation of projects will also be critical to ensure they contribute to advancing economic, social and environmental goals. Since 2016, key economic, environmental and social indicators are reported in the Regioverkenning, a yearly report. However, those indicators only concern projects within the MRDH and do not include any comparison with initial forecasts. Implementing a clearly structured framework to monitor the outcomes of the projects in the overall province of Zuid-Holland would help track and stimulate progress in the region.

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48 

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Contact us Soo-Jin KIM Deputy Head Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development Division >> Soo-Jin.KIM@oecd.org

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