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Ecologically Sustainable Development
Prepared by Environment Australia for
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
© Commonwealth of Australia, 2000
Commonwealth Government of Australia
In 1992, the United Nations released a ground breaking action plan for sustainable development titled Agenda 21. Agenda 21 is a blueprint that sets out actions that can be taken to contribute to global sustainability in the 21st century. It recognises that most environmental challenges have their roots in local activities. It makes sense then that Local Authorities play a key role in promoting local environmental, economic and social sustainability. This can be achieved by translating the principles of sustainable development into strategies that are meaningful to local communities. This process is called Local Agenda 21.
The importance of Local Agenda 21 was recognised in June 1997 by Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers for Sustainable Development when they set an APEC-wide target of doubling the number of Local Authorities with Local Agenda 21s by 2003. Australia made a commitment to producing this Guide as part of our commitment to the target.
There are difficulties associated with moving ahead on sustainable development but overcoming these difficulties is essential to securing any nation's future. Leadership on sustainable development is critical and it is local authorities that are providing that leadership in many instances. Increasingly this leadership is being demonstrated through the adoption of Local Agenda 21. What sets Local Agenda 21 apart from other approaches to local sustainability is a focus on the participation and involvement of the community in sustainable development planning and management. It rests on the development of a web of successful partnerships between government, industry and community groups.
Local Agenda 21 initiatives and the Local Agenda 21 movement in Australia have accelerated since an international conference was held in the City of Newcastle in June 1997 titled Pathways to Sustainability. Other countries have experienced a similar growth in Local Agenda 21 planning, stimulated by a range of factors and reflecting the unique circumstances of each country. I hope that the experiences learned can be shared. Information exchange is one of the primary objectives for the development of this Guide. It is also consistent with the 1997 APEC commitment to share APEC best practices for sustainable urbanization. It is anticipated that countries within the APEC region will provide relevant material to enable this Guide to be built on and updated over time.
We are now starting to see strong synergies in Australia between Local Agenda 21 and other programs being developed to address sustainable development issues like greenhouse gas emission reduction, integrated coastal management and biodiversity conservation. Similar synergies are being identified in other countries, particularly in the areas of public health, tourism and community development.
I commend this Guide to any local authority within the APEC region wishing to undertake its own Local Agenda 21 or local ecologically sustainable development program. I hope the Guide will stimulate councils within APEC to continue their efforts in leading local sustainable development. The Guide acknowledges the efforts of all local governments in moving the APEC economies onto a more sustainable path.
I would like to thank all those who contributed to this Guide, in particular the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology in Sydney for developing the case study materials, members of the Local Government Organisation of Training and Research Institutes (LOGOTRI) in the identification and provision of supplementary information for each case study; and Environs Australia for the preparation of the Australian Local Agenda 21 Guide upon which much of the APEC Guide is based.
Robert Hill
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Commonwealth Government of Australia