This ESDNewsletter informs you about the following topics and activities on SD in Europe:
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Public participation is one of the key elements of NSDS processes as it builds a basis for involving various stakeholder groups and aims to link top-down and bottom-up approaches. Viewed from a ‘new governance’ perspective on policy-making, participatory mechanisms are crucial for multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral settings of collaboration to successfully address the challenges of sustainable development (SD). However, practical experiences show that establishing meaningful and effective exchange mechanisms between different stakeholders remains a challenge that needs to be addressed more systematically.
The Quarterly Report September 2008 attempts to provide an overview of various aspects of participation in policy-making in general and its application in NSDS processes in particular. After a general introduction on public participation in policy-making and SD strategy processes, the QR includes several empirical findings on public participation in NSDS processes. In order to demonstrate how participatory mechanisms are applied in practice in NSDS processes, the QR includes three case studies of experiences made in Austria, Finland and the UK.
>> Read the current ESDN Quarterly Report
The ESDN Conference 2008, “Coordinating SCP and CSR policies with Sustainable Development Strategies” was hosted by the French EU Presidency on 29 June – 1 July 2008 in Paris. The “ESDN Conferences” section on the ESDN homepage now features a full documentation of the conference, including
This part of the ESDNewsletter provides regular updates on the governance of SD across Europe and internationally.
Belgium:
Federal Plan for Sustainable Development currently developed
The third Federal Plan for Sustainable Development (covering the time period
2009-2012) is currently developed. In May and June 2008, a public consultation
process on the preliminary draft of the plan was organised. Moreover, the Federal
Council for Sustainable Development formulated an opinion on the preliminary
draft plan. After the consultation period, the comments were examined by the
Interdepartmental Commission on Sustainable Development which elaborated the
draft plan. In a last step, the Federal Government will need to adopt the plan.
In addition to the new Federal Plan for SD, the SD indicators will be udpated.
Canada:
Canada’s new Federal Sustainable Development Act
The Parliament of Canada passed a new Federal Sustainable Development Act in
June 2008. The new Act seeks to improve SD planning and reporting and establishes
the requirement for the development of a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
by June 2010. As an overarching approach to SD, this Strategy will include a
clear set of federal SD goals and targets as well as an implementation strategy
for each target. Federal departments will be expected to specify in their individual
strategies how their activities will contribute to the achievement of these federal
goals and targets. Departmental strategies must be in place by June 2011. This
Federal Sustainable Development Act replaces previous amendments under the Auditor
General Act which came into effect in 1995 requiring departments to develop SD
strategies. The new Act will also ensure that citizens have a clear understanding
of the Government’s environmental priorities and progress in achieving
its SD goals and targets. More information on SD in Canada can be found on the Canadian
Government’s website on SD.
Germany:
New brochure on public procurement policies
Recently the German Council for Sustainable Development published recommendations
for sustainable public procurement under the title, "Credible - cost-effective
- viable for the future: New brochure on public procurement policies". The
brochure is now available online in German and English by clicking
here.
Romania:
Preparation of renewed NSDS
The reviewing process of the current NSDS started in December 2007 as a common
project of the Romanian Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable
Development (MESD), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Romania
with the aim to develop a renewed NSDS. The review process ran until summer 2008
in order to ensure a broad dialogue among various stakeholders. Following this,
the MESD organised a process of public consultation and a communication campaign
for the renewed NSDS. Additionally, the MESD is drafting an implementation scheme
including all responsible bodies. The renewed NSDS is currently in the process
of being adopted by the Romanian Government.
Sweden: Recent activities of the Swedish Commission on Sustainable
Development
The Swedish Government set up the advisory Commission on Sustainable Development
in 2007. It comprises a dozen members coming from the business sector,
academia, NGOs and politics. The Commission is chaired by the Prime Minister
with the Minister for the Environment as vice-chair and the Minister for
Finance as a member. The Commission holds both closed and open meetings.
Recently, the Commission focused on climate policy and discussed studies
and proposals from the ongoing review of Swedish climate policy as well
as the EU climate and energy package. The Commission has also discussed
topics with a wider SD perspective. Particular attention has been devoted
to market based instruments. For the period up to the start of the Swedish
EU Presidency in July 2009, most activities of the Commission will be concerned
with various topics related to the international climate negotiations.
Switzerland:
English version of renewed NSDS now available
As reported in the last ESDNewsletter, the Swiss Federal Council has adopted
the renewed NSDS in April 2008. The new strategy includes revised conceptual
guidelines and an action plan for the legislative period 2008-2011. The English
version of the renewed NSDS is now available on the website
of the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE).
EcoProcure 2009
Conference
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and Reykjavik
City Council organised the EcoProcura 2009 Conference, “Climate Neutral through
Procurement”, in Reykjavik, Iceland on 25-27 March 2009. The aim
of this conference is to exchange ideas, experiences, concepts and opinions
on how sustainable procurement can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and adaptation to climate change. Please find an overview of
the programme and information on how to register by clicking
here.
Sustainable society
index
During the peer review of the Dutch NSDS 2006-2007, a group
of people presented a sustainable society index (SSI). An article describing
the SSI can be found here. This index has already been applied in practice
in Romania: The ‘SSI
Romania 2008’ has been launched in June 2008 in Bucharest. For more information,
please click here.
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We wish you a colourful autumn!
The ESDN Office Team at the Research Institute for Managing Sustainability
Andre Martinuzzi
Gerald Berger
Markus Hametner
Ursula Kopp
Wilhelm Zwirner
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