Getting to Grips with Green Plans: National-level Experience in Industrial Countries

One of the more significant recommendations to emerge from UNCED in 1992 was the call in Agenda 21 for countries to develop and implement national sustainable development strategies. Most countries have responded to this challenge. However many countries also have a long history of drawing up planning exercises at this level to deal with environmental problems. 'Green planning' is now used as a shorthand term for a range of such national-level planning initiatives covering both sustainable development and environmental concerns, and countries from the North and the South can benefit from a pooling of knowledge. Getting to Grips with Greens Plans presents a cogent analysis of industrial countries' experiences in this area, drawing out lessons and observations from broad empirical experience. Part 1 provides an overview of national green planning, reviewing its origins and scope, identifying popular approaches and common processes, highlighting important issues such as participation, the influence of domestic politics, and the track record of more ambitious regional plans, and comparing approaches in developed and developing countries. Part 2 goes on to present a series of detailed case studies, drawn largely from interviews with key individuals responsible for coordinating national green planning processes. These cases come from a range of Western and Eastern European countries, the US and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand. Some of these case studies show impressive records of achievement, whilst others demonstrate potential stumbling blocks. All demonstrate the difficulty of putting the concept of sustainable development into practice Barry Dalal-Clayton is director of the Environmental Planning Group at the International Institute for Environment and Development, London. In recent years, Dr Dalal Clayton has been deeply involved in analyzing approaches to national sustainable development strategies and environmental action plans in many countries, and in advising governments and international agencies in this field. His other current research interests include environmental impact assessment, community-based wildlife management and land use planning. Originally published in 1996

Table of Contents:
Boxes, Tables and Figures Acknowledgements Preface Executive Summary Part I: Overview and Synthesis 1. Introduction Background The Research 2. Approaches and Stimuli The Stimulus of UNCED and Environmental Concern 3. Focus of Green Plans and Strategies Sustainable Development Strategies Environmental Strategies and Plans Special Focus Studies 4. Duration, Time Frames, Mandates and Management Approaches Duration of Development Process Mandates and Terms of Reference Strategy Management Processes 5. Participation in Green Plans and Strategies Participatory Approaches Consultative Approaches Predominantly Internal Government Processes 6. Links to Other Strategy and Planning Processes Regional Strategies Links to Budget Processes Links to National Planning Sub-National Strategies Local Agenda 21s Convention Strategies 7. Politics, Governance and Legislation Political Influences Cabinet and Parliamentary Reviewing Debate Legislative and Institutional Consequences of Strategies 8. Conclusions Towards Sustainable Development Strategies Developed and Developing Country Approaches Briefly Compared Challenges Part 11: Country Case Studies 9. Australia The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (NSESD) 10. Canada The Green Plan The Projet de Sociktk 11. Denmark Foundationsfor Strategic Environmental Planning Nature and Environment Policy 12. France Plan National pour I'Environnement French Commission for Sustainable Development 13. Latvia 14. The Netherlands National Environmental Policy Plans Action Plan: Sustainable Netherlands 15. New Zealand The Resource Management Act and the Environment 2010 Strategy 16. Norway Reports to Parliament on the Follow-Up to the Report of the Brundtland Commission (No 46), and on UNCED (No 13) 17. Poland National Environmental Policy 18. Sweden Towards Sustainable Development in Sweden: Government Bill 1993/4:111 182 An Environmentally Adapted Society: The Action Programme of the Environmental Protection Agency: Enviro '93 19. United Kingdom Sustainable Development: The UK Strategy 20. United States of America President's Council on Sustainable Development National Environmental Goals Project 21. The European Union 22. Green Planning and Strategy Processes in Some Other Industrial Countries Austria Germany Ireland Japan Portugal Russia Appendices 1. Questionnaire for Structured Interviews 2. Useful Contacts Acronym References Further Reading Index