Targets, Timetables and Effective Implementing Mechanisms: Necessary Building Blocks for Sustainable Development
William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review, Vol. 27, p. 79, 2002
58 Pages Posted: 30 Apr 2007
Abstract
The broad international framework for sustainable development contains few specific goals for environmental protection and social well-being. At both the national and international levels, targets and timetables for achieving particular sustainable development objectives make sustainable development more understandable and more achievable. Targets and timetables by themselves are not enough; they must be accompanied by political and legal commitments and resources to achieve them, as well as appropriate governance structures. The article surveys international efforts to establish targets and timetables for sustainable development, including the nonbinding agreement reached at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (which includes the U.N. General Assembly's Millennium Development Goals). While some progress has been made, targets, timetables, and effective implementing mechanisms will need to play a greater role in achieving sustainable development - internationally and at the national level - in coming decades.
Keywords: sustainable development, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Millennium Development Goals, targets and timetables, implementation
JEL Classification: Q20, Q28, Q30, Q38, Q48, 020, 022
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation