Country commitments under multilateral environmental agreements or international treaties and accords act as a stimulant to develop a variety of plans and strategies which provide vehicles for environmental mainstreaming: National Environmental Plans, National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans, sustainable land management plans, etc. These instruments are felt to be generally useful, particularly if the consultative processes are well conducted, although there is a danger of duplication of effort. And such commitments can act as a dominating steer for national activity:

“Commitments to international conventions, combined with access to funding (“we are beggars”) is driving the national agenda [in Trinidad] …..[and] because signature of these conventions is driven by the desire for money, they do not necessarily reflect real ‘internalisation’ or commitment at national level” (CANARI, 2008)

In Caribbean countries, the burden of multiple planning and reporting has resulted in the St George’s declaration of how countries will plan and report to multiple international environmental conventions through a single exercise (see: http://www.iadb.org/intal/intalcdi/PE/2009/03209.pdf). This is now in the process of being agreed with the various MEA secretariats. A similar initiative has recently been launched for Pacific islands.

In this category of driver, we might also include the need to conform with standards and procedures of international and regional organisations and alliances. For example, there is strong pressure within countries seeking to join the European Union to adopt its environmental norms and processes, particularly in order to access EU funds:

“This is emphasized in case of Croatia, an EU-accession country with an economy still in relatively early phase of transition, where both state and non-state stakeholders are responsive to the demands and conditions set by external agents (EU, international banking and donor institutions, etc …….., All applicants for EU funds are obliged to integrate environmental aspects into all their projects in order to apply for pre-accession funding”. (Integra, 2008)

Since 1997, environmental integration has been a requirement under the EC Treaty. Article 6 of the Treaty states that "environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the Community policies [.] in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development" .¹ The importance of integration is reaffirmed in the EU’s Sixth Environmental Action Programme which stipulates that "integration of environmental concerns into other policies must be deepened" in order to move towards sustainable development.

Another example of ‘conforming’ is provided by Chile which will soon join the OECD.

“Given the importance that the OECD gives to environmental performance and development, it is expected that the pressure to become an OECD country will open up opportunities in the country for mainstreaming environment into development decision-making”. (RIDES, 2008)

Membership of, or affiliation with, international business groups that have embraced environmental mainstreaming practices ‘forces’ domestic ones to adhere to the same rules.

Where national economies are dependent on international markets, environmental preferences and conditions placed on exports can be a key driver of environmental mainstreaming in diverse economic sectors. In Chile, for example, “industry is, in general, conscious that better environmental performance is at present an element of competitiveness”. (RIDES, 2008)