The global economic crisis is a serious threat to sustainable development initiatives - a growing number of experts concerned that a slowdown could damage vital projects. A research, presented in November 2008 (with the support of The Independent ), suggests that “ a lack of government leadership remains the most serious threat to achieving sustainable development goals”:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20081110/ai_n30994560
On another hand, Kelly Hawke Baxter, Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada, says: “ many leaders understand that sustainable development will be the engine that drives innovation, and create new jobs that are in line with the planets ability to support us.”:
http://www.thenaturalstep.org/en/canada/sustainability-and-economic-crisis
At the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), governments made a commitment to adopting national strategies for sustainable development. These strategies are foreseen as highly participatory instruments intended "to ensure socially responsible economic development while protecting the resource base and the environment for the benefit of future generations". The OECD document “Strategies for Sustainable Development” seeks to clarify the purposes and principles underlying effective national and local strategies for sustainable development; describes the various forms they can take in developing countries; and offers guidance on how development co-operation agencies can support them.
http://www.oecd.org/document/40/0,3343,en_2649_34421_2670312_1_1_1_1,00.html
In the same year, Agenda 21 for Culture called for all countries to develop national sustainable development strategies (NSDSs). These are intended to translate the ideas and commitments of the Earth Summit into concrete policies and actions. Agenda 21 recognised that key decisions are needed at the national level, and should be made by stakeholders together.
The Amsterdam Treaty made Sustainable Development a core task of the European Community. In December 1999 the EU heads of State and Government asked the Commission to produce a Sustainable Development Strategy for the EU and present it to the Göteborg Summit in June 2001. This Strategy was entitled “A Sustainable Europe for a Better World: A European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development”. It rests on four separate pillars - economic, social, environmental and international - which need to reinforce one another. Culture is not explicitly mentioned in the document. At its meeting on 15/16 June 2006, the EU heads of State and Government adopted a Renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy, which was adopted by the European Council: (http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/docs/renewed_eu_sds_en.pdf)
The review of selected resources (documents, websites, activities, publications, etc.) on the topic of “culture and sustainability” results in three main dimensions in understanding of this connection:
1. Sustainability of economic development (or economic dimensions of sustainability), where cultural organizations can play an important role. This could be done by two main ways:
- Aiming at sustainability of a specific cultural institution, cultural investment or a long-term project, which have strong links with the overall economic system. In this way, sustainable cultural institutions are part of the overall sustainability in the society;
- Aiming at sustainability of cultural heritage sites.
This approach is connected with the long survival of certain cultural institutions. This is a term closer to cultural reality but somehow least understood by researchers in the field.
2. Sustainability as a message which culture and the arts should convey to others and build awareness through PR campaigns and project development. This is the indirect involvement of artists and cultural institutions in the overall sustainable development.
3. A “systematic approach” towards sustainability where cultural dimension is integrated together with others – social, economic, environmental. This fourth approach is the most comprehensive one.
Certainly, sustainability is a transversal concept, which connects a variety of discourses in the society. Some authors argue that the terms like “cultural sustainability“ or “economic sustainability” are inappropriate, as it should be about cross boundaries not about isolated fields. It is also important that sustainability is a concept going beyond time and space, and connects different timescales and spaces. There is a general understanding that the conversations and development should be around “economic aspects of sustainability”, “cultural aspects”, “environmental aspects”, etc.
Here is a selection of organisations, documents and online resources on the theme of culture and sustainability. Send us more!
Few key organizations in the field of sustainability:
The International Institute for Environment and Development - http://www.iied.org/pubs/
The International Institute for Sustainable Development - http://www.iisd.ca
Und Institute for Arts, Culture and Sustainability, Berlin - http://und-institut.de/cms/front_content.php?idcat=16
European Portal of Sustainable Development: -http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/ ; http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/library/index_en.htm
Selected documents (in accessible format):
Binns, Luke. (2005). Capitalising on Culture: An Evaluation of Culture-Led Urban Regeneration Policy. The Futures Academy, Faculty of the Built Environment, DIT, Ireland:
http://www.dit.ie/media/documents/research/thefuturesacademy/CAPITALISING-ON-2005.doc
Communities and Local Government. (2006). Strong and Prosperous Communities – The Local Government White Paper:http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/strongprosperous
Culture and development Strategy and guidelines. (2002). Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Danida. http://www.um.dk/danida/
Darlow, A., Sukky Jassi, Percy Smith, J., & Wells, P. (2007). Community Strategies: Working at Different Levels. London: Department for Communities and Local Government: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/325682.pdf
Fabricio, Ago. (2005). Culture in Sustainable Development: An Italian Strategy. Rome: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://www.esteri.it/
National Strategies for Sustainable Development: New Thinking and Time for Action. (2001). Paris: IIED, UNDP and UK DFID. http://www.nssd.net/pdf/gsuse.pdf
National Sustainable Development Policy, Ireland: http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/
Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS). (2006, June 26). Council of the European Union:
http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/docs/renewed_eu_sds_en.pdf
Securing the Future - UK Government sustainable development strategy (2006): http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/publications/uk-strategy/index.htm
Strategies for Sustainable Development, OESD: http://www.oecd.org/document/40/0,3343,en_2649_34421_2670312_1_1_1_1,00.html
Sweden’s National Strategy for Sustainable Development. A summary of government communication. (2001). Ministry of the Environment: http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/02/05/15/a64eb2d7.pdf
The Graz Charter on Regional Sustainable Development. (2004): http://www.european-association.org/ensure/grazcharter.html
UN Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. (2002). Johanesburg, South Africa, 26 Aug-4 Sept 2002: http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N02/636/93/PDF/N0263693.pdf?OpenElement
Online resources:
Experimentcity (for a culture of sustainable urban development) in Germany: http://www.experimentcity.net/
European Urban Knowledge Network, virtual library: http://www.eukn.org/eukn/themes/index.html
European Urban and Regional Studies: http://eur.sagepub.com/
National Strategies for Sustainable Development: http://www.nssd.net
Relais Culture Europe: documents on sustainable development and culture:
http://www.relais-culture-europe.org/sustainable-dev.1157.0.html?&;L=1
Towards Sustainable Communities: Resources for Cities and Their Governments:
http://www.sfu.ca/cscd/publications/tsc/Resources.html#Gen_Res
und.Institut publications section:
http://und-institut.de/cms/front_content.php?idcat=23
UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs – publications section:
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/publications.htm
UNESCP Documents and publications:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/index.shtml\
Wohnportal, Germany:
http://www.wohnportal-berlin.de/
Sustainability and contemporary art:
http://artandsustainability.wordpress.com/
LabforCulture is a partner initiative of the European Cultural Foundation. LabforCulture is grateful for the support provided by its funders.