2. Small is bountiful

Thousands of local initiatives make a difference

While the decade since the Earth Summit has been characterized by a snail-like pace of change by national governments, the same cannot be said at the local level. A survey by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) reveals that more than 6,000 initiatives in over 100 countries have been set in motion under the Local Agenda 21 program. In developed countries, local authorities have been quick to identify opportunities for putting sustainability principles into practice--for example by promoting energy efficiency in homes and offices, by staging "green commuter" events, or by setting up recycling programs.

Hundreds of towns and cities have arranged themselves into loose coalitions focusing on particular aspects of sustainability. For example, the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign (ESCTC) has attracted 1,300 local authorities, representing more than 100 million people. The Cities for Climate Protection initiative has 500 members around the world, bringing together developed and developing nations. And the World Health Organization's Healthy Cities Program, whose aims are similar to those of LA21, is supported by 1,500 municipalities worldwide.

It is not only local authorities that have seized the initiative. The voluntary sector, too, has continued to play a vital role putting sustainability into practice. Conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited in North America and the Woodland Trust in the U.K., supported by public donations and private-sector sponsorship, have given much-needed protection to endangered habitats.

Communities in developing countries, meanwhile, have benefited from the work of organizations like Oxfam and the Aga Khan Foundation, which provide direct, hands-on assistance to help them become self-reliant. Microcredit programs, such as the Grameen Bank, provide small collateral-free loans and other financial services to the poorest of the poor for self employment projects that generate income.

Fair-trade organizations like Traidcraft and Ten Thousand Villages connect suppliers in developing countries to customers in wealthy nations, generating vital income for health and education.

Taken together, thousands of smaller initiatives add up to a substantial whole. And they prove that sustainable development can generate enthusiasm where it counts the most--at the level of ordinary people.