Strategies for Sustainable Development: Practical Guidance for Development Co-operation (May 2001)

National Strategies for Sustainable Development: New Thinking and Time for Action. IIED, UNDP and UK DFID.

Working Party on Development Co-operaion and Environment: Policy Guidance for Strategies for Sustainable Development

Strategies for Sustainable Development: Can country-level strategic planning frameworks achieve sustainability and eliminate poverty?

National Strategies for Sustainable Development: The Challenge Ahead

National Strategies For  Sustainable Development, a Guide To Key Issues And Methods For Analysis. A Prompt for status reviews and dialogues.

Shaping the 21st Century: The Contribution of Development Co-operation. May 1996.

This report was adopted by the DAC Member Development Ministers and Heads of Aid Agencies at their meeting of 6-7 May 1996. It sets forth strategic orientations for development co-operation into the 21st century. The report recalls the importance of development for people everywhere and the impressive record of human progress during the past 50 years. It suggests a set of basic goals as a vision for the future, and proposes strategies for attaining that vision through partnerships in support of self-help efforts, improved co-ordination and consistent policies.

Go to the OECD web site:
http://www.oecd.org/dac/htm/stc.htm

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Reith Lectures 2000: "Respect for the Earth"

This series of Reith lectures is also published as a book "Respect for the Earth".

We are now able to bring you the text of this book on the

Click here to view the text of the year 2000 Reith Lectures: "Respect for the Earth".

The BBC's Millennium Reith lectures, titled "Respect for the Earth", were on the topic of Sustainable Devleopment. Five speakers discussed a range of interesting topics with considerable relevance to national strategies for sustainable devleopment: Governance, Biodiversity, Business, health & Population, Poverty and Globalisation. The BBC's web site includes these lectures as well as questions and responses on individual talks.

Working Party on Development Co-operaion and Environment. Policy Guidance for Strategies for Sustainable Development

Acrobat format (346 KB)

This document provides policy guidance on good practice in developing and implementing strategies for sustainable development. The guidance focuses on the experience of developing countries, but many of the issues covered and lessons drawn are of equal relevance to developed countries. Whilst the guidance looks at how development co-operation agencies can best assist developing countries, it should also be of value to policy-makers, planners and development practitioners in all countries, as well as of interest to academics, students and development analysts.

Strategies for National Sustainable Development - A Handbook for their Planning and Implementation

Carew-Reid J., Prescott-Allen R., Bass S. and Dalal-Clayton B. (1994) IIED and IUCN  

Part 1	An Approach to National Strategies
Part 2	The Strategy Cycle
Part 3	Resources to Drive the Strategy

This handbook has been prepared as a collaborative effort between IUCN and IIED. The handook reflects the strategy experience of Africa, Asia and Latin America and a number of OECD countries. 

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click here for an online version

Strategies for Sustainability: Latin America

Arturo Lopez Ornat, (Editor). IUCN.

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This volume, which has been translated from the original Spanish text, contains an analysis of 15 selected strategies for sustainability in Latin America, their common themes and a summary of the lessons learned. The original Spanish text contains an annexe of summary charts of an additional nine strategies and projects which were not developed into full case studies. These charts are not available in the English translation.

Participation in Strategies for Sustainable Development, 

Bass S.M.J., Dalal-Clayton D.B. and Pretty J. (1995), Environmental Planning Issues No.7, International Institute for Environment and Development, London

Sustainable development is a challenging social process. The different objectives of society – social, economic and environmental – need to be integrated where possible, and traded-off where they are incompatible. Institutional and individual roles and responsibilities have to change, so that new patterns of behaviour will foster sustainable development.

Small Island States and Sustainable Development: Strategic Issues and Experience

Bass S.M.J. and Dalal-Clayton D.B. (1995), Environmental Planning Issues No.8, International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

This paper focuses on the ecological, economic and social factors which typify small island states, and lead to their vulnerabilities. The opportunities for, and difficulties in developing, national strategies for sustainable development are then considered.  Illustrations are brought through case studies of recent island strategies in Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Caribbean, St Helena and the Solomon Islands.

Getting to Grips with Green Plans: National-Level Experience in Industrial Countries

Dalal-Clayton D.B. (1996), Earthscan Publications,  London.

This study reviews and compares 20 recent green planning initiatives in twelve industrialised countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Latvia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the UK and the USA, together with regional initiatives in Eastern and Western Europe. The majority are government sponsored initiatives, but two were conducted by non-governmental organisations, and one was a programme of the European Union.

Great Expectations? Green Planning in Industrial Countries

B Dalal-Clayton (1996) Environmental Planning Issues EPI 10. IIED Environmental Planning Group. 33pp. 

This paper presents an overview of a study of 20 green planning initiatives in 12 industrialised countries: Canada, Denmark, France, Latvia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the UK and the USA; and also in the European Union 

National Sustainable Development Strategies: Experience and Dilemmas

Dalal-Clayton D.B., Bass S.M.J. Sadler B., Thomson K., Sandbrook R., Robins N. and Hughes R. (1994), Environmental Planning Issues No.6, International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

This paper discusses the evolution of the nssd concept and provides examples of various national strategy processes that have been undertaken. The main elements of a strategy process are identified and past experience with national strategies discussed. A number of principles are identified which may be of use to countries or organisations developing an nssd.

Rethinking Sustainable Development Strategies. Promoting Strategic Analysis, Debate and Action

Dalal-Clayton D.B., Bass S., Robins N. and Swyderska K. (1998):. Environmental Planning Issues No.6, International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

This paper re-examines the experience of implementing nssds to date, considers why recommendations of past reviews have not been addressed or implemented, draws out some key lessons and identifies a range of challenges. It argues that a new focus and approach is required which places less emphasis on the production of a strategy document and focuses on processes which can facilitate strategic analysis, debate and action. 

Strategic Environmental Assessment: A Rapidly Evolving Approach

Dalal-Clayton D.B., Sadler B. (1999). Environmental Planning Issues No.18, International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

This paper is an evaluative discussion of SEA, in which the authors conclude that SEA theory is in need of rethinking. Included are the principles of SEA, its benefits and constraints, an assessment of the scope of SEA and a comparison of SEA with EIA.

DFID and the International Development Target

DFID (1999), National Strategies for Sustainable Development: Key Sheets.Issue 1 August. Department for International Development, London

This document discusses the origin of national sustainable strategies for development (nssds), gives the principles of the nssd approach and the opportunities offered by it, followed by an outline of the challenges of this approach.

The UK’s National Strategy for Sustainable Development: a better quality of life.

DFID (2000), National Strategies for Sustainable Development: Key Sheets.Issue 2 August. Department for International Development, London

This report on the Government’s new strategy for sustainable development (nssd), a better quality of life, describes the process for developing the nssd, the strategy’s aims and objectives, and the principles behind it. 

National Strategies for Sustainable Development: Experience, Challenges and Dilemmas

IIED (1998), Extracts from Two IIED Reports. International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

The paper re-examines the experience of national strategies for sustainable development (nssds) to date, considers why recommendations of past reviews have not been addressed or implemented, draws out some key lessons and identifies a range of challenges. It argues that a new focus and approach is required which places less emphasis on the production of a strategy document and focuses on processes which can facilitate strategic analysis, debate and action. 

Assisting Developing Countries with the Formulation and Implementation of National Strategies for Sustainable Development: The Need to Clarify DAC Targets and Strategies.

OECD (1999), OECD, Paris.
   

This document outlines opportunities in formulating national strategies for sustainable development and discusses the need for clarification of the DAC NSSD target. The paper concludes with a section on how the role of development co-operation should be clarified.

Policy that Works for Forests and People

Mayers, J. and Bass, S. (1999): Overview Report.  Policy that works no. 7: Series Overview. International Institute for Environment and Development, London.

Executive SummaryAnnex 1 

The contents include: Forest problems - is policy really to blame? Understanding policy in practice; Lessons learned from country studies in Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, India, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Costa Rica; key policy developments in Portugal, Scotland, China, Australia, Scandinavia, West Africa; Corporate influences on policy for forests; Certification and buyers groups; Global change and international games; Factors that affect forest decision-making and policy outcomes; Policy processes that work; Policy instruments that work: What can be done.

Agenda 21. 

UNCED (1992) United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), United Nations General Assembly, New York.

The aim of Agenda 21 is to address not only the global problems of the present, but to prepare the  world for the challenges of the next century. It reflects a global consensus and political commitment on development and environment co-operation. The programme areas that constitute Agenda 21 are described in terms of the basis for action, objectives, activities and means of implementation.

Strategies for sustainable development in the thicket of national planning processes. From convergent concepts to coherent actions in development cooperation.

GTZ, Bonn.  Heidbrink, K. and Paulus, S. (2000). 

A contribution to the nssd process and dialogue. 

National Strategies for Sustainable Development (nssds): Vital development tool or another empty acronym?

A workshop organised by the Development and Environment Group (DEG) of UK NGOs,18 May 2000. 

Executive Summary and Full Text

NGOs across the world are being asked to get involved with a range of processes for informing national development plans. Among these are National Strategies for Sustainable Development (NSSDs).  UK development and environmental NGOs (co-ordinated under the Development and Environment Group) felt that, despite NSSDs being a potentially useful development tool, there was little awareness among NGOs about NSSDs or of formal government commitments to generate and implement them.  This called for a workshop to increase NGO understanding and analysis of the potential benefits and pitfalls of NSSDs, and to sharpen NGO engagement with NSSDs if appropriate.