NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT: THE CHALLENGE OF LONG-TERM
POLICY INTEGRATION

ANDREW ROSS

ABSTRACT:

This article examines the institutional requirements for sustainable development. Key institutional requirements include providing long-term direction, policy integration, stakeholder engagement, and information, evaluation and feedback. Institutional performance in selected Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development ('OECD') countries is examined using case studies of the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Although many OECD countries have established sustainable development goals, often these have not been translated into action at the sectoral or local levels. While many countries have sufficient scientific capacity to tackle sustainable development policy, knowledge about the impacts of human activities on the environment remains inadequate. Few countries have established processes for measuring and evaluating performance. Greater high-level commitment, stronger sectoral implementation mechanisms, and improved performance monitoring and feedback are needed to bridge the gap between intentions and actions.