The political economy of sustainable development

Abstract

This introductory essay sets out the research which produced the following collection of articles. The aim of the research was to develop further a theory of the institutional responsiveness triggered by the Agenda 21 exercise, by examining the extent to which sustainable development may be regarded as an energising force in its own right. The research concludes that this transition has to be assisted by a myriad of institutional changes that are not in themselves directly promoted by the sustainable development agenda. Nevertheless there are distinctive features of sustainable development that clearly create important and continuing institutional change. This introductory essay summarises those conclusions in a broad theoretical context.