Why the Global Environment Needs Local Government: Lessons from the Johannesburg Summit

Abstract:     
Can local governments play a critical role in saving the global environment? Professor Robert R.M. Verchick argues that they are already. Drawing upon his experiences as a Major Group Delegate at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, Professor Verchick explains how acting out of their own self-interest, local governments have begun to see that thinking and acting locally not only improve local conditions, but also contributes substantially to national and international environmental goals. Concluding that only through the coordination of international, national and local efforts to improve the environment will sustainable development be possible, Professor Verchick's article is a forceful argument for the need for local action in confronting a global problem.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 20

Keywords: Sustainability, environment, local government, global

JEL Classification: 020, 028

Accepted Paper Series