Ensuring national policies account for environmental effects

Ensuring decision-makers are accountable for environmental impacts

Description

Ensuring national policies account for environmental effects involves systematically integrating environmental impact assessments into policy development and decision-making processes. This strategy aims to prevent ecological degradation by requiring that potential environmental consequences are identified, evaluated, and addressed before policies are implemented. Practical measures include mandating environmental reviews, establishing regulatory standards, and promoting cross-sectoral coordination, thereby remedying the frequent oversight of environmental risks and fostering sustainable, responsible governance at the national level.

Context

National policies such as those relating to infrastructure and industry affect the environment. Resulting environmental effects have until recent years been more secondary to policy in importance.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.