Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: Awareness of environmental issues became a global priority following a conference between concerned scientists and world government leaders at the Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972.

     International commitments: Following the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders from 144 countries signed the Agenda 21 as written commitment that the collective vision for a sustainable future will be met.

     Policies and measures: Developed nations are leading the way towards sustainable development by initiating action programs and environmental projects as part of their development assistance programs.

Background in summary:

     Agenda 21 and environmental awareness raising: Since 1992, international pressure has mounted to assure all people everywhere are aware of the environmental issues and have action programs set up to reduce pollution, establish sustainable harvesting of renewable resources, and halt the human population explosion.

     Commitment comes through understanding: The major method of fostering national sustainable development plans has been the use of conferences, the media, and private meetings between international organizations and all levels of government. Once the issues are understood, most people act responsibly and make sincere efforts to promote sustainable behavior.

     Assistance as an economic instrument: Virtually all countries in the world are dependent on international trade and a large number depend on international loans and development assistance. Proactive environmental bilateral and trade agreements can be a powerful stimulus to advance sustainable development.

     Media as a watchdog: Governments that act irresponsibly on environmental issues are rapidly and hotly condemned by global media organizations. And this, in turn, is bad for investment, trade, the international value of the currency, and stock markets. In addition, the pervasive nature of modern media exposes irresponsible political behavior to the people of the country and civil disruption can follow.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	-	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		-	Participation of the community
2	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	2	Participation of resource owners/users
2	Socio-cultural adaptability.	2	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
3	Level of development adaptability.	2	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
3	Style of government adaptability.	2	Ability to attract political interest/support
-	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	-	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       Improved communications and media offers a means of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of international efforts. The explosive growth of the Internet has become a major factor in advancing the Agenda 21 process. Sustainability of the project:      Awareness and visions: Environmental conservation somehow does not coincide with economic development. It is always the case that you could have one thing and lose the other. However, the concept of sustainable development will finally bring the 2 extremes together to a mutually beneficial condition. With sustainable development, the environment and natural resources will be conserved while economic development could still be maximized. This may require technological discoveries to improve production capacity by maximizing the use of resources while controlling the level of pollution discharge. Adaptability of the project to other situations:       Process of decision making and implementation:      International commitments: Environment is a global issue. For instance, air pollution in one country could be carried by the wind and create smog in another country. Or, destruction of rainforest, which is considered the lungs of the earth, could result in global reduction of oxygen. That is why, when it comes to the issue of environment, environmental conservation, and sustainable development, it requires international/global cooperation and commitment.      Policies and measures: There are international organizations that offer assistance to national government in development integrated environment and economic decision-making policies. One is UNEP-Division of Environmental Policy Implementation. This Unit offers assistance to countries in developing their capacity to integrate environment and development in decision making, to implement sustainable development policies, and to use a mixture of regulatory, economic and other incentives and instruments to ensure compliance with national objectives in the context of global trends and multilateral environmental agreements. Cost efficiency: