The aim of this study is to provide an account of the status of the development and implementation of Local Agenda 21 in Germany five years after signing A 21. The study shows that LA 21 in early 1997 is still a low priority issue in Germany and so far only a few municipalities have initiated an LA 21 process. Nevertheless, the German response to LA 21 is somehow surprising as the municipalities have a constitutionally guaranteed right of autonomy and, therefore, a broader scope of responsibilities than local authorities in other countries. Moreover, environment policy has a long and successful tradition in Germany, often pushed by local grass root movements. In contrast to the enthusiastic municipal response to the global issue of climate change, however, it appears that A 21 as one of the major outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 has only lately been discovered as an issue of municipal interest.
The study identifies different categories of coalitions as regards first mover coalitions, local authority coalitions, local actor coalitions as well as LA 21 coalitions between municipalities. In conclusion it appears that the idea of LA 21 is so far underdeveloped in Germany but has the potential to outstrip other issues of municipal interest. Thus it could become one of the driving forces for integrated policy-making in German municipalities provided the support of the federal government for a general development towards the sustainability transition is forthcoming.
Christiane Beuermann:
Local Agenda 21 in Germany
Five Years after Rio and It's still Uphill all the Way?
Wuppertal Paper no. 68 (February 1997)
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