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62-513: The National Estuary Program is made up of 28 smaller organizations set up regionally by estuary. Each of the estuary organizations is managed by local community leaders and staff. Participating organizations may include universities, local non-profit organizations, and state and local government agencies. It is the job of the NEP to help communities better protect, restore and maintain their estuaries. Unlike traditional environmental governance approaches,

124-462: A "Local Agenda 21". As most Europeans live in about 800 cities of +50.000 inhabitants, it is fair to say that just about all EU cities, communes and villages have a local Agenda 21. For example: By 1997, 70% of UK local authorities had committed to Agenda 21. Many, such as the London Borough of Enfield , employed Agenda 21 officers to promote the programme. Sweden reported that 100% of

186-403: A bottom-up push from local governments". Agenda 21 fears have played a role in opposition to local government's efforts to promote resource and land conservation, build bike lanes , and construct hubs for public transportation . The non-profit group ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA – was targeted by anti-Agenda 21 activists. In 2012, fears of Agenda 21 "went mainstream" when

248-615: A clear articulation between values and interests while negotiating environmental management plans. Many governments have conserved portions of their territories under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a multilateral treaty signed in 1992–3. The 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets are part of the CBD's Strategic Plan 2011–2020 and were published in 2010. Aichi Target Number 11 aimed to protect 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020 . Of

310-746: A global or regional scale, for example the issues surrounding the disposal of hazardous waste can be implemented on a regional level as per the Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Waste within Africa which applies specifically to Africa, or the global approach to hazardous waste such as the Basel Convention on

372-533: A national action plan for sustainable development to the President. The PCSD is composed of leaders from government and industry, as well as from environmental, labor and civil rights organizations. The PCSD submitted its report, "Sustainable America: A New Consensus", to the President in early 1996. In the absence of a multi-sectoral consensus on how to achieve sustainable development in the United States,

434-458: A plot to subjugate humanity under an eco-totalitarian regime." The conspiracy had its roots in anti-environmentalist ideology and opposition to land-use regulation. Anti-Agenda 21 theories have circulated in the U.S. Some Tea Party movement activists and others promoted the notion that Agenda 21 was part of a UN plot to deny property rights, undermine U.S. sovereignty, or force citizens to move to cities. Glenn Beck warned that Agenda 21

496-627: A study of transportation planning and land use in California found that stakeholders choose their collaborative partners by avoiding those with the most dissimilar beliefs, rather than by selecting for those with shared views. The result is known as homophily —actors with similar views are more likely to end up collaborating than those with opposing views. The main multilateral conventions, also known as Rio Conventions, are as follows: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (1992–1993): aims to conserve biodiversity. Related agreements include

558-412: A variety of institutions featuring many actors and encompassing different levels and scales of governance. Following the growth of international environmental institutions from the 1970s, intergovernmental and transnational environmental governance has rapidly proliferated over the last few decades. As a result of this proliferation, domains of institutional competence increasingly overlap. This compounds

620-806: A wetlands restoration project. Environmental governance Environmental governance (EG) consists of a system of laws, norms, rules, policies and practices that dictate how the board members of an environment related regulatory body should manage and oversee the affairs of any environment related regulatory body which is responsible for ensuring sustainability ( sustainable development ) and manage all human activities— political , social and economic . Environmental governance includes government, business and civil society, and emphasizes whole system management . To capture this diverse range of elements, environmental governance often employs alternative systems of governance, for example watershed-based management. In some cases, it views natural resources and

682-434: A whole. If all parts of the estuary are not addressed it will be unable to balance the changes and may ecologically collapse, doing more harm than good. That includes chemical, physical, and biological properties, as well as its economic, recreational, and aesthetic public values. This allows communities that live in watersheds to have local as well as national protection. EPA provides annual funding and technical assistance to

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744-564: Is a signatory country to Agenda 21, but because Agenda 21 is a legally non-binding statement of intent and not a treaty, the United States Senate did not hold a formal debate or vote on it. It is therefore not considered to be law under Article Six of the United States Constitution . President George H. W. Bush was one of the 178 heads of government who signed the final text of the agreement at

806-664: Is for this reason that governments should respect and support the commitment to implementation of international agreements. At the state level, environmental management has been found to be conducive to the creation of roundtables and committees. In France, the Grenelle de l’environnement process: If environmental issues are excluded from e.g., the economic agenda, this may delegitimize those institutions. The most pressing transboundary environmental challenges include climate change , biodiversity loss , and land degradation . Solving these problems now warrants coordination across

868-725: Is necessary. The IDDRI claims that rejection of multilateralism in the name of efficiency and protection of national interests conflicts with the promotion of international law and the concept of global public goods. Others cite the complex nature of environmental problems. On the other hand, The Agenda 21 program has been implemented in over 7,000 communities. Environmental problems, including global-scale problems, may not always require global solutions. For example, marine pollution can be tackled regionally, and ecosystem deterioration can be addressed locally. Other global problems such as climate change benefit from local and regional action. The literature on governance scale shows how changes in

930-501: Is often closely tied to environmental challenges specific to each country; for example, in 2002 Sam Nujoma , who was then President of Namibia, spoke about the importance of adhering to Agenda 21 at the 2002 Earth Summit, noting that as a semi-arid country, Namibia sets a lot of store in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Furthermore, there is little mention of Agenda 21 at

992-505: Is widely regarded as a paragon of Agenda 21 implementation. Europe turned out to be the continent where LA21 was best accepted and most implemented. In Sweden, for example, four small- to medium-sized municipalities in the south-east of Sweden were chosen for a 5-year study of their Local Agenda 21 (LA21) processes a Local Agenda 21 initiative. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs' Division for Sustainable Development monitors and evaluates progress, nation by nation, towards

1054-612: The Cartagena Protocol on biosafety. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) (1992–1994): aims to stabilize concentrations of greenhouse gases at a level that would stabilize the climate system without threatening food production, and enabling the pursuit of sustainable economic development; it incorporates the Kyoto Protocol . United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (1994–1996): aims to combat desertification and mitigate

1116-555: The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) for having had one of its animals lost to extinction in the previous ten years. Following this, the leaders of 64 nations and the European Union pledged to halt environmental degradation and restore the natural world. The pledge was not signed by leaders from some of the world's biggest polluters, namely China, India, Russia, Brazil and the United States. Some experts contend that

1178-507: The Republican National Committee adopted a platform resolution stated that "We strongly reject the U.N. Agenda 21 as erosive of American sovereignty." Several state and local governments have considered or passed motions and legislation opposing Agenda 21. Most such bills failed, "either dying in committee, getting defeated on the statehouse floor or – in the case of Missouri 's 2013 bill – getting vetoed by

1240-483: The UN ;General Assembly held a special session to appraise the status of Agenda 21 (Rio +5). The Assembly recognized progress as "uneven" and identified key trends, including increasing globalization , widening inequalities in income, and continued deterioration of the global environment. A new General Assembly Resolution (S-19/2) promised further action. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, agreed to at

1302-644: The World Summit on Sustainable Development ( Earth Summit 2002 ), affirmed UN commitment to "full implementation" of Agenda 21, alongside achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other international agreements. The first World Public Meeting on Culture, held in Porto Alegre , Brazil, in 2002, came up with the idea to establish guidelines for local cultural policies, something comparable to what Agenda 21

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1364-491: The biodiversity has to act in many levels. Biodiversity is fragile because it is threatened by almost all human actions. To promote conservation of biodiversity, agreements and laws have to be created to regulate agricultural activities, urban growth , industrialization of countries, use of natural resources , control of invasive species , the correct use of water and protection of air quality . To promote environmental governance for biodiversity protection there has to be

1426-408: The global South , are rapidly growing—putting an additional stress on them. Cities and their governments have a growing importance in global policymaking. They can be spaces for creative responses to global problems, sites of new policy cultures with less hierarchical structures, and hubs for innovation. Cities can conduct local sustainability projects and join forces in global coalitions, such as

1488-498: The 20 biodiversity goals laid out by the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in 2010, only six were partially achieved by 2020. The 2020 CBD report highlighted that if the status quo does not change, biodiversity will continue to decline due to "currently unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, population growth and technological developments". The report also singled out Australia, Brazil, Cameroon and

1550-530: The 21st century. Agenda 21 is grouped into 4 sections: The full text of Agenda 21 was made public at the UN ;Conference on Environment and Development ( Earth Summit ), held in Rio de Janeiro on 13 June 1992, where 178 governments voted to adopt the program. The final text was the result of drafting, consultation, and negotiation, beginning in 1989 and culminating at the two-week conference. In 1997,

1612-586: The Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal which is monitored throughout the world. Local Agenda 21 Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development . It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, in 1992. It is an action agenda for

1674-476: The Earth Summit in 1992, and in the same year Representatives Nancy Pelosi , Eliot Engel and William Broomfield spoke in support of United States House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 353, supporting implementation of Agenda 21 in the United States. Created by Executive Order 12852 in 1993, the President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) is explicitly charged with recommending

1736-568: The Global Resilient Cities Network or Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), in regional clusters, such as Energy Cities or the ASEAN Smart Cities Network . However, to conduct sustainability projects on the ground, cities and local governments rely on regional and national governments, international funding schemes, civil society engagement, and private corporations that all operate in

1798-798: The Inter-Agency Coordination Committee and the Commission for Sustainable Development , but these institutions are not powerful enough to effectively incorporate the three aspects of sustainable development. MEAs are agreements between several countries that apply internationally or regionally and concern a variety of environmental questions. As of 2013 over 500 Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), including 45 of global scope involve at least 72 signatory countries. Further agreements cover regional environmental problems, such as deforestation in Borneo or pollution in

1860-946: The Mediterranean. Each agreement has a specific mission and objectives ratified by multiple states. Many Multilateral Environmental Agreements have been negotiated with the support from the United Nations Environmental Programme and work towards the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals as a means to instil sustainable practices for the environment and its people. Multilateral Environmental Agreements are considered to present enormous opportunities for greener societies and economies which can deliver numerous benefits in addressing food, energy and water security and in achieving sustainable development. These agreements can be implemented on

1922-411: The NEP targets a broader range of issues and participates more effectively in local communities. Before establishment of the national program, some small local grassroots organizations pursued environmental improvement efforts in various regions of the country, with limited effect. The programs now focus not just on improving water quality in an estuary, but on maintaining the integrity of the system as

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1984-585: The PCSD was conceived to formulate recommendations for the implementation of Agenda 21. Executive Order 12852 was revoked by Executive Order 13138 in 1999. The PCSD set 10 common goals to support the Agenda 21 movement: In the United States, over 528 cities are members of ICLEI , an international sustainability organization that helps to implement the Agenda ;21 and Local Agenda 21 concepts across

2046-671: The Sustainable Development Goals, was a set of goals decided upon at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. It takes all of the goals set by Agenda 21 and re-asserts them as the basis for sustainable development, saying, "We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development…" Adding onto those goals from the original Rio document, a total of 17 goals have been agreed on, revolving around

2108-665: The Texas Wildlife Association. In Arizona, a similarly sweeping bill was introduced in the Arizona State Legislature seeking to mandate that the state could not "adopt or implement the creed, doctrine, or principles or any tenet" of Agenda 21 and to prohibit the state "implementing programs of, expending any sum of money for, being a member of, receiving funding from, contracting services from, or giving financial or other forms of aid to" an array of sustainability organizations. The bill, which

2170-450: The UN, other multilateral organizations, and individual governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and global levels. One major objective of the Agenda 21 initiative is that every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21. Its aim initially was to achieve global sustainable development by 2000, with the "21" in Agenda 21 referring to the original target of

2232-603: The United States is the Division Chief for Sustainable Development and Multilateral Affairs, Office of Environmental Policy, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs , U.S. Department of State. A June 2012 poll of 1,300 United States voters by the American Planning Association found that 9% supported Agenda 21, 6% opposed it, and 85% thought they didn't have enough information to form an opinion. The United States

2294-503: The United States' refusal to ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity is harming global efforts to halt the extinction crisis. Scientists say that even if the targets for 2020 had been met, no substantial reduction of extinction rates would likely have resulted. Others have raised concerns that the Convention on Biological Diversity does not go far enough, and argue the goal should be zero extinctions by 2050, along with cutting

2356-517: The adoption of Agenda 21, and makes these reports available to the public on its website. The Rio+10 report identified over 6400 local governments in 113 countries worldwide that were engaged in Local Agenda 21 (LA21) activities, a more than three-fold increase over less than five years. 80% = 5120 of these local governments, were located in Europe. A significant increase has been noted in

2418-510: The effects of drought and desertification, in developing countries (Though initially the convention was primarily meant for Africa). Further conventions: The Rio Conventions are characterized by: Environmental conventions are regularly criticized for their: Until now, the formulation of environmental policies at the international level has been divided by theme, sector or territory, resulting in treaties that overlap or clash. International attempts to coordinate environment institutions, include

2480-466: The environment and natural resources . International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), define environmental governance as the "multi-level interactions (i.e., local, national, international/global) among, but not limited to, three main actors, i.e., state, market , and civil society, which interact with one another, whether in formal and informal ways; in formulating and implementing policies in response to environment-related demands and inputs from

2542-418: The environment as global public goods, belonging to the category of goods that are not diminished when they are shared. This means that everyone benefits from, for example, a breathable atmosphere , stable climate and stable biodiversity. Governance in an environmental context may refer to: Environmental governance refers to the processes of decision-making involved in the control and management of

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2604-499: The environmental activity of countries in the UN. For example, UNEP has played a vital role as a coordinator and catalyzer for an array of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). UNEP was envisioned to take up a leading role in more centralized global environmental governance. However, UNEP has been widely considered as a weak international organization, as many institutional arrangements concerned with regulating environmental matters have become increasingly independent of UNEP over

2666-691: The fragmentation and institutional complexity of global environmental governance, but also creates opportunities for productive interactions among institutions. The field of global environmental governance has been characterized as “one of the institutionally most dynamic areas in world politics regarding the number of international institutions and actors that have emerged over the past three decades”. The International Environmental Agreement Database Project currently comprises almost 1300 multilateral agreements and over 2200 bilateral agreements (see also list of international environmental agreements ). The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) coordinates

2728-469: The governor." In Texas , for example, broadly worded legislation that would prohibit any governmental entity from accepting from or granting money to any "nongovernmental or intergovernmental organization accredited by the United Nations to implement a policy that originated in the Agenda 21 plan" was defeated because it could have cut off funding for groups such as 4-H , the Boy Scouts of America , and

2790-591: The impact of unsustainable food production on nature by half. That the targets are not legally binding has also been subject to criticism. Environmental issues such as natural resource management and climate change have security and social considerations. Drinking water scarcity and climate change can cause mass migrations of climate refugees , for example. Social network analysis has been applied to understand how different actors cooperate and conflict in environmental governance. Existing relationships can influence how stakeholders collaborate during times of conflict:

2852-402: The implementation of Agenda 21 and other programs “originating in, or traceable to, the United Nations or a subsidiary entity of the United Nations.” The right-wing John Birch Society described Agenda 21 as a plot, disguised as an environmental movement, to end individual freedom and establish a one-world government. Activists believed that the non-binding UN resolution was "the linchpin in

2914-643: The local estuary programs. Each of the participating coastal areas has suffered varying degrees of impacts with regard to water quality and habitat decline . Many of the local estuary programs have initiated projects in one or more of the following problem categories. In 2016 a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge found that the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission violated the California Public Records Act by failing to disclose records about

2976-706: The local level in indigenous media. Only major municipalities in sub-Saharan African countries are members of ICLEI. Agenda 21 participation in North African countries mirrors that of Middle Eastern countries, with most countries being signatories but little to no adoption on the local-government level. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa generally have poorly documented Agenda 21 status reports. By contrast, South Africa's participation in Agenda 21 mirrors that of modern Europe, with 21 city members of ICLEI and support of Agenda 21 by national-level government. The national focal point in

3038-422: The mismatch is often the cause of unsustainable management practices and that simple solutions to the mismatch have not been identified. Local authorities are confronted with similar sustainability and environmental problems all over the world. Environmental challenges for cities include for example air pollution , heat waves , complex supply chains, and recycling systems. Some cities, especially megacities in

3100-513: The multi-level governance system. A 1997 report observed a global consensus that sustainable development implementation should be based on local level solutions and initiatives designed with and by the local communities. Community participation and partnership along with the decentralisation of government power to local communities are important aspects of environmental governance at the local level. Initiatives such as these are integral divergence from earlier environmental governance approaches which

3162-401: The number of countries in which one or more LA21 processes were underway. Australia is a signatory to Agenda 21 and 88 of its municipalities subscribe to ICLEI , an organization that promotes Agenda 21 globally. Australia's membership is second only to that of the United States. In Africa, national support for Agenda 21 is strong and most countries are signatories. But support

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3224-427: The past decades, resembling a very loosely and sometimes poorly coordinated network. Moreover, some opponents have doubted the effectiveness of a centralized overarching institutional framework to govern global environmental governance and law. The International Institute for Sustainable Development proposed an agenda for global environmental governance. These objectives are: Environmental governance for protecting

3286-457: The resulting multi-tiered system as addressing issues on both smaller and wider scales. Hans Bruyninckx claimed that a mismatch between the scale of the environmental problem and the level of the policy intervention was problematic. Young claimed that such mismatches reduced the effectiveness of interventions. Most of the literature addresses the level of governance rather than ecological scale. Elinor Ostrom , amongst others, claimed that

3348-612: The same concepts of Agenda 21; people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. The Commission on Sustainable Development acts as a high-level forum on sustainable development and has acted as preparatory committee for summits and sessions on the implementation of Agenda 21. The UN Division for Sustainable Development acts as the secretariat to the Commission and works "within the context of" Agenda 21. Implementation by member states remains voluntary, and its adoption has varied. The implementation of Agenda 21

3410-429: The society; bound by rules, procedures, processes, and widely accepted behavior; possessing characteristics of “good governance”; for the purpose of attaining environmentally- sustainable development " (IUCN 2014). Key principles of environmental governance include: Challenges facing environmental governance include: All of these challenges have implications on governance, however international environmental governance

3472-586: The understanding of environmental issues have led to the movement from a local view to recognising their larger and more complicated scale. This move brought an increase in the diversity, specificity and complexity of initiatives. Meadowcroft pointed out innovations that were layered on top of existing structures and processes, instead of replacing them. Lafferty and Meadowcroft give three examples of multi-tiered governance: internationalisation , increasingly comprehensive approaches, and involvement of multiple governmental entities. Lafferty and Meadowcroft described

3534-459: The world. The United States has nearly half of the ICLEI's global membership of 1,200 cities promoting sustainable development at a local level. The United States also has one of the most comprehensively documented Agenda 21 status reports. In response to the opposition, Don Knapp, U.S. spokesman for the ICLEI, has said "Sustainable development is not a top-down conspiracy from the U.N., but

3596-426: Was a "seditious" conspiracy to cut the world population by 85%. He claimed it represents a move towards "government control on a global level" and the creation of a "police state" that would lead to "totalitarianism." Beck described the dystopia it would cause if the world followed the UN plan in a 2012 novel he co-authored called Agenda 21 . The Rio+10 report identified 5120 of local governments in Europe having

3658-532: Was for the environment. They are to be included in various subsections of Agenda 21 and will be carried out through a wide range of sub-programs beginning with G8  countries. In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development the attending members reaffirmed their commitment to Agenda 21 in their outcome document called "The Future We Want". Leaders from 180 nations participated. Agenda 2030, also known as

3720-699: Was intended to involve action at international, national, regional and local levels. Some national and state governments have legislated or advised that local authorities take steps to implement the plan locally, as recommended in Chapter ;28 of the document. These programs are often known as "Local Agenda 21" or "LA21". For example, in the Philippines, the plan is "Philippines Agenda 21" (PA21). The group, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, formed in 1990; today its members come from over 1,000 cities, towns, and counties in 88 countries and

3782-467: Was opposed by the state chamber of commerce and the mayor of Phoenix , was defeated in 2012. Alabama was one state that did adopt an anti-Agenda 21 law, unanimously passing in 2012 a measure to block "any future effort to 'deliberately or inadvertently infringe or restrict private property rights without due process, as may be required by policy recommendations originating in, or traceable to 'Agenda 21.'" In 2023, Tennessee enacted legislation to block

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3844-499: Was “driven by state agendas and resource control” and followed a top-down or trickle down approach rather than the bottom up approach that local level governance encompasses. The adoption of practices or interventions at a local scale can, in part, be explained by diffusion of innovation theory. States play a crucial role in environmental governance, because "however far and fast international economic integration proceeds, political authority remains vested in national governments". It

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