In pursuit of sustainable development. New governance practices at the sub-national level in Europe

Abstract:
The book explores how implementation strategies engage sub-national, regional and local actors in the promotion of sustainable development.

Following the obligations incurred at the Rio Earth Summit and the related UNCED process, European states began to produce sustainable development strategies in the 1990s. Implementation efforts are increasingly using ‘new’ governance arrangements, including:

- use of public/private partnerships
- new policy tools
- policy transfer and benchmarking
- policy networks and involvement of stakeholder groups and - institutional capacity enhancement.

The authors explore the nature, extent and characteristics of the new governance arrangements that have been put in place to implement sustainable development strategies and initiatives at the sub-national levels. They also examine the approaches that sub-national governments adopted towards the mobilization of ‘stakeholders’ in these initiatives and what type of non-governmental actors have become involved.

Contents:

Part 1: Promoting Governance Capacity for Sustainable Development
1. National Sustainable Development Strategies in EU Member States
2. Economic Instruments and the Promotion of Sustainable Development
3. Institutional and Social Capacity Enhancement for Local Sustainable Development

Part 2: Engaging in Governance for Sustainable Development
4. Institutional Capacities for Sustainable Development
5. Sub-National Sustainable Development Initiatives in Federal States in Germany
6. Rhetoric or Reality?
7. Governance Networks Promoting Rural Sustainable Development in Norway
8. New Interpretations of Local Governance for Sustainable Development in the Netherlands.

Conclusion: Combining Old and New Governance in Pursuit of Sustainable Development

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