Implementing Sustainable Development: From Global Policy to Local Action

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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Despite all the talk of sustainability, there has not been enough action to halt or reverse the impacts of climate change. Decades after the Rio Earth Summit and despite the many policies and commitments to move toward sustainable development, there continues to be a serious implementation gap.

Implementing Sustainable Development focuses on the challenges of turning international commitments and policy promises into local action. Through global examples and cases, the authors examine not only the core principles, but also successful and failed efforts to address the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainable development. They systematically guide readers through the technical, legal, economic, administrative, political, ethical, and cultural feasibility of putting sustainable development solutions in place. Based on broad research, Claudia Mara Vargas and Phillip J. Cooper offer a practical and useful approach to identifying and addressing policy implementation challengeswhat works, what doesnt, and why.

Features of this thoroughly revised second edition include:
Dozens of case studies from the throughout the worldAn overview of the UN Sustainable Development GoalsAction-oriented solutions to the challenges of sustainable developmentCareful consideration of local and indigenous knowledgeKey issues of equity, equality, and the importance of community involvement

Reviews

A thoughtful and comprehensive text on perhaps the most important global subject of the 21st century, Implementing Sustainable Development is a welcome addition to the sustainability conversation. The scope of the authors approach offers a practical and accessible avenue for readers to consider the challengesand possibilitiesof achieving sustainable development. -- Jeffrey Brewer, University of Cincinnati
In Implementing Sustainable Development, Vargas and Cooper provide a rare glimpse at real-life case examples from around the world that elucidate the complexities and the global-to-local interconnectedness of creating a more sustainable planet. This book expertly examines the history of sustainable development by linking the scales of impact from the international level at the UN to local cities around the world through field work with key stakeholders. Significantly, Vargas and Cooper give a voice to the voiceless and marginalized, hence demonstrating the need for all to be engaged in creating a more sustainable world. Weaving sustainable development through various disciplines from policy, finance, and international relations, the authors underline collaboration and interdisciplinarity as key drivers of sustainable development. This book is as useful in a classroom as it would be for a workshop among decision makers in the public and private realms. It is a hopeful, empirically-rich portrayal of a more balanced approach toward a sustainable future. -- Pamela Martin, Coastal Carolina University

Author Bio

Claudia Mara Vargas is Affiliated Professor of Public Administration and Senior Fellow in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. Her publications include Implementing Sustainable Development: From Global Policy to Local Action; Sustainable Development in Crisis Conditions: Challenges of War, Terrorism, and Civil Disorder, Caring for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and their Families: An Innovative Approach to Interdisciplinary Practice (Co-Ed.), Implementing Sustainable Development Administration: Experiences in Sustainable Development Administration (Co-Ed.), "Community Development and Micro-Enterprises: Fostering Sustainable Development," "Sustainable Development Education: Averting or Mitigating Cultural Collision," and "Women in Sustainable Development: Empowerment through Partnerships for Healthy Living."

Phillip J. Cooper is Douglas and Candace Morgan Professor of Local Government at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. He is a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and was the first recipient of the Charles Levine Award for Excellence in Public Administration, given by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration and the American Society for Public Administration. His books include: Implementing Sustainable Development: From Global Policy to Local Action; Sustainable Development in Crisis Conditions: Challenges of War, Terrorism, and Civil Disorder, Policy Tools in Policy Design, Civil Rights in Public Service, By Order of the President: The Use and Abuse of Executive Direct Action, Second Edition, Governing By Contract, and Public Law and Public Administration, now in its fifth edition.

In addition, the authors have worked together on sustainable development research for more than three decades, serving as consultants to the United Nations, the World Bank, and a number of countries in the process. They have facilitated international programs on sustainable development implementation or were lead presenters for conferences in several regions of the world, involving participants from many countries. This book brings together the work from those research efforts and practical experiences.