Role of the

Government
and NGOs
NOFIE IMAN

Historical evolutions

Stockholm Conference on Human Environment (1970)

World Conserva>on Strategy (1980)

Natural Step (1980s)

World Commission on Environment and Developments Our Common Future (1987)

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

UN (Rio) Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (1992)

UN Session on Agenda 21 (1997)

UN Johannesburg Conference (2002)

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2015)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2030)

Early focus on environmental issues; now expanding to social and economic concerns.

MDGs

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000

the largest gathering of world leaders in history
adopted the UN Millennium Declara>on,
commi[ng their na>ons to a new global
partnership to reduce extreme poverty and
se[ng out a series of >me-bound targets, with a
deadline of 2015, that have become known as
the Millennium Development Goals.

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty

Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Educa>on
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower
Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other
diseases
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for
Development

SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

ocially known as Transforming our world: the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a
set of seventeen aspira>onal "Global Goals"
with 169 targets between them.
The Ocial Agenda for Sustainable
Development adopted on 25 September 2015
has 92 paragraphs, with the main paragraph (51)
outlining the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
and its associated 169 targets.
As of August 2015, there were 169 proposed
targets for these goals and 304 proposed
indicators to show compliance.

Increasing role of governments

Governments are recognising that sustainability prac>ces can help markets func>on more eciently, by
providing important non-nancial informa>on, and also help drive progress by all organiza>ons toward
government-agreed sustainable development goals.
The government of Finland adopted a resolu>on asking non-listed state-owned companies and state
majority-owned companies to report their sustainability performance.
Denmark released its second impact assessment study of the legal requirements in the Danish Financial
Statements Act for repor>ng on corporate social responsibility.
German Council on Sustainable Development adopted the German Sustainability Code in October 2011
In October 2011, the European Commission (EC) released a new European strategy on corporate social
responsibility, which marked further increases in government ac>vity and an important point in the history
of EU corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.
Mandated by S516A of the Environment Protec>on and Biodiversity Conserva>on Act 1999, Australian
Government departments and agencies are required to report on their sustainability performance as part
of their Annual Reports.

What is the role of government?

An$cipa$ng rising world demand for sustainable products, services and
systems is also an obliga$on and opportunity for governments. Indeed,
there is a crucial role for governments in facilita$ng the transi$on to an
economy that is much more ecient, much more fair and much less
damaging. Governments that lead will be in a stronger posi$on to set
the agenda and establish advanced posi$ons for their industries and
their ci$zens. Countries that lag behind will inevitably face increasing
compe$$ve disadvantage and lost opportunity. (Peck and Gibson,
2000)

Behavioural drivers
ETHICS/VALUES

REGULATORY SYSTEM

ECONOMICS

Key roles of governments

Vision/goal sejer: Steering society toward sustainability
Leader by example: Walking the talk by prac>cing sustainability in
government opera>ons and purchasing policies
Facilitator: Crea>ng appropriate framework condi>ons for
sustainability
Green scal authority: Ge[ng the prices right through greening
budgets and introducing ecological scal reform (EFR)
Innovator/catalyst: Promo>ng innova>on within government and in
other sectors

NGOs: Definition
A non-prot ci>zens voluntary en>ty organized na>onally or
interna>onally (UN Department of Public Informa>on).
All organiza>ons of relevance to the United Na>ons that are not central
Governments and were not created by intergovernmental decision,
including associa>ons of businesses, parliamentarians and local authori>es
(Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Na>onsCivil Society
Rela>ons).
There is no agreed terminology for describing. It is easier to describe what
NGOs are not, rather than what they are: part of government, or organised
primarily for private prot.
The number of NGOs who are ac>ve at the UN has grown rapidly,
especially since the 1990s.

NGOs: (Interchangeable) Term

Civil Society Organisa>on (CSO): The associa>ons of ci>zens entered into voluntarily to
advance their interests, ideas and ideologies. The term does not include prot-making
ac>vity (the private sector) or governing (the public sector). Of par>cular relevance to the
United Na>ons are mass organiza>ons, trade unions, professional associa>ons, social
movements, indigenous peoples organiza>ons, religious and spiritual organiza>ons,
academe and public benet non-governmental organiza>ons.

Major groups: A term that was introduced in Agenda 21 (Rio Earth Summit), describes nine
sectors of society iden>ed as having a signicant role in sustainable development, including
women, children and youth, indigenous people, NGOs, Local authori>es, workers and trade
unions, business and industry, the scien>c and technical community, and farmers.

Stakeholders: Those who have an interest in a par>cular decision, either as individuals or

representa>ves of a group. This includes people who inuence a decision, or can inuence it,
as well as those aected by it.

NGOs in Intergovernmental Processes

Four important func>ons:
Se[ng agendasthrough advocacy and lobbying, membership in na>onal
delega>ons
Nego>a>ng outcomesby proposing alterna>ve language and solu>ons
Conferring legi>macybring knowledge and informa>on, new issues and
expert advice to intergovernmental nego>a>ons
Implemen>ng solu>onssome>mes, a choice has to be made about
working inside or outside ocial processes; both have pros and cons,
and the decision needs to be taken carefully.

Policy instruments characteristics

Informa>onal or endorsing instruments: Campaigns, guidelines, trainings

Partnering instruments: Agreements, networks, PPPs, dialogues
Financial or economic instruments: Subsidies, grants, prices/awards
Legal (manda>ng) instruments: Laws, regula>ons, decrees
Hybrid instruments: Strategies, ac>on plans, plaqorms, centres

Essential Tools of Sustainable

Governance
Clear Goals: Strong science is cri>cal to this
process
Strong, Adaptable Regula>on: Emphasise
performance, accommodate business cycles, no
sector free rides, address new technology
supported by a full range of enforcement tools
(e.g. administra>ve penalty, judicial enforcement,
criminal viola>ons, etc.)
Informa>on: Accurate, >mely, understandable,
and available in ways the public and others can
nd and use the data
Public Engagement: Authen>c (not just
formulaic), early and regularly, public dialogue
Corporate Social Responsibility: Much more than
just good will, both economic and legal aspects

Public Values : A thing is right when it tends to

preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the
bio>c community. It is wrong when it tends
otherwise.
Collabora>on: Consider scale of the problems,
cost, limited government resources, mutual
interest
Jus>ceEquity: Environmental jus>ce (fair
treatment, meaningful involvement) will be
achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree
of protec>on from hazards and equal access to
the decision-making process
Integra>on: Innova>on, adapta>on; strategically
deploying regulatory, economic and values-based
drivers; decision processes that help decision
makers select the most appropriate tools

To conclude

Obviously, governments and NGOs need to play a key role in aligning business and
sustainability.

The role of government and NGOs in the movement of sustainability is dicult to

dene and will probably be debated for a long >me due to its complexi>es and
mul>-faceted characteris>cs.

Great strides have been made in environmental and consumer protec>on, but it
seems that regula>on just isnt sucient at our current rate of destruc>on,
contamina>on and consump>on.

Sustainability seeks innova>ve and eec>ve design. Regula>ons employed today

oren discourage crea>ve problem solving. If the government is to play a posi>ve
role in sustainability, it needs to become the carrot. Such companies that are
making innova>ve strides not just to be less bad, but to be good.

Future challenges
Dierent role for governments>ll need to be a
regulator and enforcer but must also play a key role in
inuencing economics or values
Dierent role for the public and NGOspar>cipa>on,
collabora>on and partnerships important
Dierent role for companiesCSR and partnerships are
central, compliance is a given

References
David Bell (2002). The Role of Government in Advancing Corporate
Sustainability, Background Paper, York University
Steven Peck and Robert Gibson (2000). Pushing the Revolu>on,
Alterna>ves Journal, 26(1), Winter.
Cheryl Simrell King et al. (1998). The Ques>on of Par>cipa>on: Toward
Authen>c Public Par>cipa>on in Public Administra>on, 58 Pub. Admin.
Rev. 317.
Young, S.T. and Dhanda, K.K. (2013) Sustainability: Essen>als for Business,
Sage Publica>ons, London

THANK YOU