Title: Some reflections on the conditions for favouring Integrated Sustainability Assessments

Authors: Tim O'Riordan

Addresses: School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

Abstract: Integrated Sustainability Assessment (ISA) should be both transformational and humble. This paper examines the political and institutional conditions that will be required to create an appropriate policy analysis framework that will embrace ISA. This will mean better connections between agencies that deliver and departments that ponder and finance. Such a combination will not be easy as there is much resistance to full-blooded |sharing|. Also, the participatory and societal learning elements of ISA will require humility on the part of all players. Learning means reflecting and accommodating. These are never easy when established power has to be shared. Try ISA: it is worth it, and monitor the results.

Keywords: integrated sustainability assessment; ISA; policy learning; sustainability governance; transformational politics; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2008.018198

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2008 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.153 - 162

Published online: 11 May 2008 *

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