Concluding Perspectives

Draws general conclusions from the study of the ten governmental reactions to sustainable development. It explores explanations for the different patterns of engagement displayed by the governments. Considering the governments as a group, it also provides a preliminary assessment of the quality of the implementation effort thus far. The chapter goes on to offer a more general interpretation of the overall evolution of environmental policy in the industrialized countries over the past three decades, and relates this to contemporary scholarly concern with the concept of ‘ecological modernization’. Finally, the discussion considers the potential ‘staying power’ of the idea of sustainable development, and reflects on the long‐term viability of the sustainable development agenda.