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Section 3: Achieving a Natural Advantage of Nations

There is increasing global recognition on the significant role that local governments play in delivering environmental sustainability through cumulative local action. 'Think global, act local' has earned its place as one of the key concepts of the 21st century, clearly articulating that global agendas can only be achieved through local action. This chapter is based on the work of Valerie A. Brown and her colleagues through the Australian Local Sustainability Project and the ISA Forum Planning Group. In order to provide the general context to this work, we will briefly introduce a sample of the growing networks that have had a considerable influence over both the local and worldwide movement of local governments seeking to achieve tangible improvements in global environmental conditions.

While state, national and global bodies assist in the establishment of broad-reaching sustainability agendas, it is at the local level that these actions are implemented. The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is an organization that is driving the sustainability agenda by building the capacity of local governments. As an introduction to the chapter we asked Wayne Wescott, Chief Executive Officer at the ICLEI Australia/New Zealand, Martin Brennan, Partnerships and Political Support Manager, and his colleague Yolande Strengers to provide some insight into delivering sustainability from the local government level upwards.

Valerie A. Brown, Visiting Fellow, ANU School of Resources,

Environment and Society (SRES) and the Centre for

Resource and Environmental Studies (CRES) (jointly)

The chapter has been developed by Valerie A. Brown through the Australian Local Sustainability Project and the ISA Forum Planning Group. Val is a well recognized and respected leader in local government sustainability and is currently a visiting fellow in the School of Resources, Environment and Society and the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies (jointly) at the Australian National University. She is author of over 200 research papers and 12 books on links between human and environmental issues, and her work can best be summed up as 'thinking globally, acting locally'.

The local government sector is often underestimated as a key contributor to progress towards sustainability. This part is based on a report on a collaborative study with 25 leading sustainability practitioners working in councils around Australia. The study explored their very different demographic profiles, mode of operations, and needs for the future. Surprises included the wide range of positions from which they were working, from junior project officer to CEO; the diverse entry points for introducing sustainability practice, such as organizational development, strategic planning and environmental services; and the variety of tools that they had used to make a difference. There was unanimous agreement that there was the nucleus of an active, vocal advocacy for sustainability right across the local government sector. However, individual sustainability practitioners felt very alone in their councils, even in cases where they had been recognized for their success. The sustainability practitioners came to the conclusion that, for sustainability to be advanced, the necessary strategic and personal support must be generated across the local government sector as a whole. Further, the local government sector should advise on local initiatives from the inside out, that is, from their own local knowledge to other agencies, not from other agencies and scales of government inward.