Abstract
The aims were to identify sustainable development priorities and perceived responsibility of sustainable development issues. Differences in opinions between politicians, officials, environmental representatives and the public in four Swedish municipalities were analysed. Sustainable development issues were perceived as more important on the global level than on the municipal and family levels. Among the most important issues on both the global and family levels were clean air, fresh water, and health, whereas decision-making, co-operation, and participation were considered most important on the municipal level. The highest responsibility for sustainable development issues was placed on governments and global organizations and the lowest on the individual. The public felt less individual responsibility and less possibility to influence than did the other groups. The correlation between importance and responsible on municipal and world levels was high but low on the individual level. The responsibility for the most important issue on the family level (clean air) was placed on governments and global organizations. An attitude change is needed to increase responsibility for issues ranked low on individual responsibility. To further raise the awareness of global sustainable development issues, an increased concentration on locally based international co-operation projects is suggested.
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Acknowledgement
The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS) and the Universities of Lund and Kalmar have contributed to the funding of the present research project ‘Agenda 21 in the Municipalities––A Tool for Sustainability?’ The present study was a part of the above mentioned interdisciplinary project including natural resources management and environmental psychology approaches. We are grateful to all those who took part in the interviews, and to the municipality employees who supplied the material requested. The comments of the research groups at the Environmental Psychology Unit in Lund and the Natural Resources Management in Kalmar have been highly appreciated.
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Lindström, M., Küller, R. Sustainable development in four Swedish communities priorities, responsibility, empowerment. Environ Dev Sustain 10, 311–336 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-006-9066-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-006-9066-z