9. Permeating the corridors of power

Some governments accepting the challenge

In the 10 years since Rio, politicians have learned how to "talk the talk" on sustainability. But behind the hyperbole, has anything changed in the way national governments conduct their business?

In many cases, the answer is no. But in a handful of countries, a step-change in environmental governance has taken place.

New Zealand was among the first to make significant moves in this direction, with the appointment of an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. The role of this independent officer is to review and offer advice on environmental issues, and to scrutinize the government's policies through a green filter..

Other countries have subsequently adopted variations on the PCE theme. Canada appointed its first Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in 1996, to monitor the environmental impacts of federal policies. The Commissioner produces an annual report outlining matters that deserve the attention of Parliament and also responds to citizen complaints.

In many countries, independent councils have been established by governments, with representatives from all sectors of society, to provide advice on environmental and sustainable development issues. The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, established in 1994, explains and promotes sustainable development across Canada. And since 1992, the Canada China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development has provided much needed perspective on China's contribution to sustainability.

In Europe, national governments and the European Union itself have made a concerted effort to point the wheels of government in a sustainable direction. The Netherlands has a well-established National Environmental Policy Plan, which can be traced back to 1989. While there is an inevitable gap between aspirations and achievements, the NEPP has paved the way for some significant environmental policies.

Environmental policies adopted in The Netherlands are widely acknowledged to have been a driving force behind the European Commission's own sustainable governance agenda, the Fifth Environmental Action Programme--"Towards Sustainability." This was adopted in 1992, and was recently superseded by a sixth action programme, "Our Future, Our Choice," which runs until 2010.

The agenda singles out four priority areas: climate change, nature and biodiversity, environment and health, and natural resources and waste. By adopting a more strategic and inclusive approach than its forerunners, it sets the tone for the European Commission's first strategy on sustainable development, which was adopted by the 15 European heads of state in June 2001.

The EU's green policy framework has many tentacles attached to it. Among them are proposals for a Europe-wide "integrated product policy." The ambitious goal of the IPP is to create market conditions that favour sustainably-produced goods and services, from Stockholm to Seville and all points between.

Putting sustainable development at the heart of government is an ambitious goal, and one that cannot be achieved overnight. Given the urgency of the various environmental crises currently facing humanity, it is tempting to see the glass as half-empty. In reality, however, there are heartening signs of progress.