Norway's institutional response to sustainable development

Abstract

The Norwegian process relating to sustainable development has been marked by shifting political support. In the period leading up to Rio, a broad participatory, and state‐initiated process was carried out. Since the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, interest in a specific national process related to sustainable development has been more limited. Today, few signs of a distinct process for sustainable development can be found. However, a wide range of efforts have been made to improve Norwegian environmental policy. The established structures and procedures at both the national and local level continue to function more or less independently of fluctuations in political interest for the issue of sustainable development. Environmental considerations have to a large extent been institutionalised into the existing political system. This is for instance the case in the planning and budget routines of the various ministries and in the various initiatives taken to promote inter‐ministerial co‐operation on environmental policy issues. This process has been supplemented with environment‐friendly changes also in the business and industry sector and among non‐governmental organisations. However, many of the changes have developed independently of the international process for sustainable development. Hence, the causal relationship between the United Nations process for sustainable development and the Norwegian response cannot easily be isolated. A broader perspective than the specific national process related to sustainable development, is therefore necessary in order to fully comprehend the Norwegian case.