International Experiences on Sustainability

There is a wide range of projects, institutions and initiatives in the field of sustainable development which have been taking place and which have provided a concrete contribution to the cause of sustainability as a whole. Unfortunately, most are little known. This perceived need for information on international perspectives on sustainability is addressed in this book. It gathers a set of papers which provide a synthetic overview of the effectiveness of implementation activities and initiatives at various levels, bringing together various clusters of organisations and a wide range of approaches. Whilst a special emphasis is given to Germany, from where reports on the work of the German Council for Sustainable Development, the German International Co-operation Agency and the German Federal Environment Foundation are documented, examples of other initiatives taking place elsewhere in Europe and North America are provided. Contributors to this book have made a great deal of efforts in providing synthetic overviews of the effectiveness of implementation activities at different levels, drawing lessons with a wide geographical scope, broad relevance and wider implications and applications. Readers will notice that some major new developments and outstanding problems needing further attention are outlined. Last but not least, the book provides concrete examples of governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental successful or promising efforts, showing that sustainability as both a process and as a goal may be pursued in different ways. Contents: Walter Leal Filho: Sustainability: World Trends and Future Perspectives - Volker Hauff: Networking sustainability politics: approaches and up-to-date results of the work of the German Council for Sustainable Development - Stephan Paulus: Form New Alliances and Strengthen Capacities: Sustainable Development as Framework for Technical Co-operation - Fritz Brickwedde: Supporting Sustainable Development: Experiences from the