Sustainability
Sustainability, Local Agenda 21 and WSSD
The concept of 'sustainability' provides an integrated approach to meeting our social, economic and environmental goals in a way that is equitable within and between generations. For local government it is about planning and providing for the needs of individuals and communities, protecting ecosystems and their services and creating prosperity.
Agenda 21 is the global framework which guides the way we move along the pathways to sustainable development. Agenda 21 emerged from the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 sets out a clear role for local government in sustainable development. What is Agenda 21?
The Sustaining Our Communities Declaration is an integral guiding document which establishes ALGA's commitments to progressing Agenda 21 and sustainbility in Australian Local Government.
Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development
- nsr4SD Conference Declaration
- Between 16 September and 19 September 2003, the Regional Government Network for Sustainable Development met in Fremantle, Western Australia on the occasion of its third Conference. This declaration seeks to reaffirm the Gauteng Declaration and to articulate the purpose and outcomes of this conference.
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
Agenda 21 is under review. Ten years after Agenda 21 was adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the UN hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to measure progress on Agenda 21 principles and to encourage new commitments and actions to achieve sustainable development.
WSSD was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002. Four global preparatory meetings were held in the lead up to the Summit. The Australian Local Government Association attended both WSSD and PrepCom4 (conducted in Bali, Indonesia, 24 May - 7 June 2002) as a member of the Australian Government Delegation.
ALGA's reports to WSSD
- WSSD Report
- At Johannesburg, over 750 local government representatives from across the globe demonstrated the energy and commitment of organised local government to implementing the outcomes of World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
- PrepCom4 report
- A preparatory report for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development about local government, Agenda 21 and outcomes from four global preparatory meetings for the Summit (known as PrepComs). PrepCom4 focused on 2 major outcomes - a Draft Plan of Implementation for WSSD and a Political Declaration. These documents will be finalised at Johannesburg later this year. .
Major documents from WSSD
Central to the WSSD were intergovernmental negotiations of two key documents:
- Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development
- A declaration by the representatives of the peoples of the world, assembled at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa from 2-4 September 2002, reaffirming their commitment to sustainable development.
- WSSD Plan
- The World Summit on Sustainable Development Plan of Implementation further builds on the achievements made since UNCED and expedites the realisation of these remaining goals, including a commitment to undertake concrete actions and measures at all levels and to enhancing international cooperation, taking into account the Rio Principles. These efforts are intended to promote the integration of the three components of sustainable development &endash; economic development, social development and environmental protection &endash; as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars.
The voice of local government internationally was coordinated and fed into the WSSD process by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) on behalf of the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA).
To encapsulate the perspectives of Local Authorities participating in the Local Government Session at WSSD, a Local Government Declaration to the World Summit on Sustainable Development was endorsed and presented to the formal plenary of the Summit.
Useful resources and research for Local Government
- ESD Information Guide for NSW Local Councils
- Launched in September 2002 the guide has been developed to assist New South Wales councils in the implementation of ESD. It recognises that individual councils will have different needs, cultures and issues and will therefore require individual approaches. The guide is designed to assist councils to understand the concept of ESD through outlining: the legislative responsibilities of councils; how to get the process within councils right; and developing ESD programs. Individual case studies are provided to highlight the activities of a number of leading NSW councils.
- Local Agenda 21 Survey Report
- From November 2000 to December 2001, ICLEI undertook a global survey of Local Agenda 21 processes. Read the results of this global survey.
- Ecologically Sustainable Development Survey
- A survey of professional development needs of council staff, managers and councillors - Results (Local Government and Shires Association of NSW, February 2001).
- Leadership for Sustainable Development
- Actions that local authorities are taking to mainstream sustainable development. This report is based on research interviews with Chief Executives and supporting senior officers in a sample of 16 local authorities throughout England. The aim of the research was to identify practical techniques that ensure sustainable development becomes an integral and valuable part of local authority activities rather than yet another initiative to deal with.
- South Australian Partnership for Agenda 21
- A program that promotes ecologically sustainable development at a Local and State level.
- Local Agenda 21 program
- Environment Australia has compiled a very helpful webpage here providing links to many online Local Agenda 21 resources, including the 2002 Sustaining Our Communities conference papers and the Local Sustainability Framework for LA21.
- Local government and Commonwealth environment law
- Environment Australia has prepared a series of fact-sheets on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
