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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2017

Why Organization May Be the Primary Limitation to Implementing Sustainability at the Local Level: Examples from Swedish Case Studies

Keskitalo, Carina; Andersson, Elias

Abstract

Much of the effort to address environmental issues at the local level has focused on defining principles and aims rather than addressing the operational difficulties of implementation. Drawing upon insights from sustainability scholarship, this study reviews two cases: the development of a Swedish standard for implementing sustainable development at municipality, county council, and regional levels, and attempts by a small rural municipality to establish a process towards implementing the Aalborg Commitments. The research illustrates the specific organizational and managerial complexity of these case study experiences. It concludes that an organizational focus on integration and mainstreaming deserves particular attention to achieve broader sustainability, or related environmental or adaptation goals. The results, in particular, highlight the role that integrated management systems can play for sustainability work at the local level.

Keywords

sustainability; Sweden; local level; public management; integrated management systems; organization

Published in

Resources
2017, Volume: 6, number: 1, article number: 13

      Sustainable Development Goals

      SDG13 Climate action

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Public Administration Studies
      Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
      Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalization Studies)

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6010013

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/83047