Governing for Sustainability (Environmental Law Institute)

Sustainable development may be one of the most important and potentially transformational ideas to come out of the last century. The ultimate objectives of sustainable development are freedom, opportunity, justice, and quality of life for everyone in this and future generations. While the United States has a substantial body of environmental and social protection laws, we are far from being a sustainable society. The question is what to do.

Governing for Sustainability provides a detailed set of recommendations for federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, as well as the private sector and civil society. The various contributions that personal behavior can make toward both public and private governance are included as well. These recommendations would help make America a better place for all. Every American has a role to play.

Book Reviews:

“In a new decade already defined by a worldwide pandemic, widespread natural disasters linked to climate change, violent insurrection in the United States, and brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine and the post-war international order, what can we learn from the message in Governing for Sustainability? We can learn that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ably analyzed and advocated by the book’s authors, still present a persuasive agenda of action by all sectors of society to advance equity, prosperity, and environmental protection. Though attaining most of the goals by 2030 is far out of reach, it is encouraging that the authors see stronger synergy among many of the goals, such as climate protection and the relationship to infrastructure and employment, and greater potential for mobilizing all sectors in partnerships to work on collaborative problem solving. Sustainability strategy remains a strong platform for a new generation of leaders rising to make change.”
—Leslie Carothers, former President, Environmental Law Institute

“This book brings new attention to the transformational goal of sustainable development, by concentrating on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which President Obama committed the United States to achieve by 2030. Published on the 30th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit, John Dernbach and Scott Schang have added significantly to this laudatory goal by assembling 26 authors – all experts in the area – who outline and discuss the 17 goals, providing practical methods of achieving these far reaching, but exceptionally important multi-disciplinary objectives, thereby encouraging both potential U.S. leadership as well as a commitment to progress.”
—John C. Cruden, former Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice; former President, Environmental Law Institute; former President, American College of Environmental Lawyers

“Sustainable development can feel overwhelming in its enormity. John Dernbach and Scott Schang have brought together a remarkable coalition of authors in a volume that both embraces that enormity and makes it concrete. From exploring the rationale behind the Sustainable Development Goals, to tracking progress to date, to clear recommendations for how to accelerate progress, the book shows how sustainable development can go – and must go – from a talking point to a reality.”
—Jordan Diamond, President, Environmental Law Institute

“Governing for Sustainability offers a sweeping review of America’s progress on meeting the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and thus a gauge of our nation’s commitment to the sustainability imperative that undergirds life in the 21st century. With an unparalleled team of authors, the strengths and weaknesses of our efforts on each goal are systematically assessed and a pathway to a sustainable future carefully defined. The book is essential reading for students, professors, journalists (in all media), government officials (at every level), business executives, and NGO leaders – and all those who care