Action Towards Local Authority Sustainability (ATLAS)

Researcher
Dr Paul Fleming and Viv Vallance

Source of Funding
European Commission LIFE programme

Duration
March 1996 - Argust 1999

Collaborators
Environ Leicester, Leicester City Council (UK), Derby City Council (UK), City of Nottingham (UK), City of Dublin Corporation (Ireland), City of Espoo (Finland).

Aims
The ATLAS project aimed to test the effectiveness of using information, trainng and networking to facilitate local action towards sustainability across the European Union. The project focused on five mid-sized European citied and sought to promote progress towards sustainability through: 
  • innovative motivational training targeted at heightening environmental commitment and awareness amongst key policy and decision makers (ATLAS Training),
  • a computer-based environmental information package that provides clear policy guidance and extensive case study information, and which acts as a manual for sustainable development at the local level (ATLAS Information), and· 
  • computer based networking that allows exchange of information and experience between cities. 

Background
Action Towards Local Authority Sustainability is a Life (DGXI) funded initiative that seeks to promote sustainable development in five European local authorities. The rationale for the project is that there are four barriers to be overcome if environmental action is to be taken by local authorities: the costs of the action must not be prohibitively high; the action must be feasible and relatively convenient; there must be good information about possible action; and a desire or motivation to take the action must exist. Within local authorities there is little that can be done to make action for local sustainability more convenient or affordable, but we can improve information about possible actions and provide training to key decision-makers to increase awareness and motivation. 

The project draws on Leicester's previous experience of the (Life funded) Environment City project (contact Environ for more details). This provided insights into the process of working towards local sustainability, and in particular into the barriers that need to be overcome to achieve environmental action at the local level.