The Transition to Sustainability

The Transition to Sustainability 'details how all nations are repositioning their economies, their societies and their collective purpose to maintain all life on Earth, peacefully, healthily, equitably and with sufficient wealth to ensure that all are content in their survival.' From the Preface The governments of Europe are committed, in principle, to the implementation of sustainable development policies. What will this mean in practice? Most importantly, how compatible is such implementation with other commitments to economic growth and competitive markets? Can it be achieved, and what are the implications for all other policy areas? This book looks at the implications for government, business, taxation, planning, measures of change and local communities within the European Union. Country case studies include Germany, Norway, Greece, Portugal and the UK. The Editors conclude by giving an overview of progress so far, and offer pointers for the future. Policy makers, researchers and students across the range of social sciences will find this a valuable and groundbreaking book.

Timothy O'Riordan is Associate Director of the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment and Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia. Heather Voisey is a Senior Research Associate in the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment at the University of East Anglia. Contributors Timothy O'Riordan, Heather Voisey, Nigel Haigh, Martin Hession, Richard Macrory, David Wilkinson, Clare Coffey, Christiane Beuermann, Bernhard Burdick, Liv Astrid Sverdrup, Teresa Ribeiro, Valdemar Rodrigues, Panos Fousekis, Joseph Lekakis

Preface ? Part I: Setting the Scene ? The Political Economy of the Sustainability Transition ? The Politics of Agenda 21 ? Part II: The European Union and Sustainable Development ? Introducing the Concept of Sustainable Development into the Treaties of the European Union ? The Legal Dynamics of European Integration and Sustainable Development ? The Legal Duty of Environmental Integration: Commitment and Obligation or Enforceable Right? ? Steps Towards Integrating the Environment into Other EU Policy Sectors ? European Community Funding and the Sustainability Transition ? Part III: The Evolution of National Sustainable Development Strategies ? Sustainable Development: The UK National Approach ? The German Response to the Sustainability Transition ? The Norwegian Experience of the Transition to Sustainability ? The Evolution of Sustainable Development Strategies in Portugal ? Adjusting to a Changing Reality: The Greek Response ? Part IV: Local Agenda 21 and the Sustainability Transition ? Local Agenda 21 in the UK ? Local Agenda 21 in Germany ? Local Agenda 21 in Norway ? Continuing the Transition ? Index