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Local Environment: The International
Journal of Justice and Sustainability
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From Rio to Rio + 20: the changing role
of local governments in the context of
current global governance
Konrad Otto-Zimmermann
Published online: 06 Jun 2012.
To cite this article: Konrad Otto-Zimmermann (2012) From Rio to Rio + 20: the
changing role of local governments in the context of current global governance, Local
Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, 17:5, 511-516, DOI:
10.1080/13549839.2012.686564
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2012.686564
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conditions
From Rio to Rio120: the changing role of local governments in the
context of current global governance
Konrad Otto-Zimmermann∗
The upcoming Rio + 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development has
instigated a reflective assessment of the last 20 years and the transformation, if any, of
our societies and our economies in the context of a changing planet and increasing
environmental concerns. A major component of this assessment relates to global
environmental governance, and the suitability of the current governance structures to
deal with our environmental challenges. This contribution looks specifically at the role
of local governments, the most proximate level of governance to citizens, in the
overall context of the current global environmental governance structure. In doing so
it will argue, that cities, and their local governments, need to be given full recognition
in terms of the role they have in achieving global sustainability, as well as meeting the
challenges of climate change and addressing general environmental pressures. The
intense concentration of human activity in cities has been the source of many of our
environmental problems, yet this same concentration also offers many of the solutions.
The contribution will also look at the role of ICLEI – Local Governments for
Sustainability, and how the organization has evolved since its inception over 20 years
ago. Finally, it will ask “what is the future we want”, and whether current decisionmakers
fully comprehend the extent to which global environmental governance
structures need to be reformed in order to achieve a future desirable for subsequent
generations.
Keywords: cities; local; global environmental governance; ICLEI
1. Introduction
The upcoming Rio+ 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development has instigated
a reflective assessment of the last 20 years and the transformation, if any, of our societies
and our economies in the context of a changing planet and increasing environmental concerns.
At the same time, it makes us think about the future we want. The first United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also affectionately referred to as
the Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It was the first UN summit
linking environment to development, unprecedented in terms of its scope, penetration and
political involvement. It was the culmination of a new culture of concern over environmental,
developmental and governance issues. It was a turning point in the way we view environment
and development by imprinting these concerns onto political consciousness at the UN level,
as well as other levels of governance, society and the global economy.
ISSN 1354-9839 print/ISSN 1469-6711 online
# 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2012.686564
http://www.tandfonline.com
∗Email: [e-mail]
Local Environment
Vol. 17, No. 5, May 2012, 511–516
Downloaded by [202.154.27.200] at 20:08 27 June 2015
The fruition of the conference was the definitive creation of nine major groups,1 the
anchoring of sustainable development and the establishment of a blueprint for the
twenty-first century, titled “Agenda 21”. For the latter to succeed, strategies, plans, policies
and processes at the national, regional and local level aimed at sustainable development are
crucial. Equally important is a strong commitment to the role that participatory processes
should have in environmental governance, public policy, and environment and development
decision-making.
2. An increasing recognition of cities and local governments
As far back as the 1992 Earth Summit, Maurice Strong, the Secretary General of UNCED
stated that “If sustainable development does not start in the cities, it simply will not go.
Cities have got to lead the way”. Prior to the Earth Summit Local Governments for Sustainability
(ICLEI) was established in 1990 and one of its key aims was to overcome one
glaring omission in global environmental governance – local government involvement.
Following the Earth Summit, a number of initiatives that aimed to instigate a gradual
shift in global governance under the mantra of “thinking globally, acting locally” were
established to which ICLEI played an important part. The idea of “the urban challenge”
was floated and the Curitiba Commitment pursued the creation of an Agenda 21 relevant
for local governments that would ensure a multi-sectorial environmental audit with a
strong participatory approach. ICLEI was a leading actor in drafting a special section
(Chapter 28) called Local Authority Initiatives in Support of Agenda 21 and a subsequent
call on all local governments to develop a “Local Agenda 21”.
Although seen as a vital group in implementing the sustainable development agenda,
local governments remained an entity that the United Nations was still uncertain of how to
integrate into the deliberations. In the words of ICLEI founder, Jeb Brugmann, “the UN overlooked
the fact that local governments are the key implementers of environmental policies
and often spend more money than any other level of government”. From the first Earth
Summit to the present day, ICLEI has sought to highlight the role that local governments,
the most proximate level of government to citizens, have in addressing global environmental
challenges. This recognition became ever more prescient throughout the 1990s and into the
twenty-first century due to the rapid pace of urbanisation, whereby for the first time in human
history, over 50 per cent of the world’s population live in urban areas.
2.1 Local Agenda 21 and increasing participatory governance
The establishment of Local Agenda 21 prodded local governments in cities all over the
world to embark on cumulative local sustainability action in order to achieve positive
global results. This movement was supported by national and international associations
of local governments. Simultaneously, the role of ICLEI evolved overtime. The organisation
now acts as a vital link between local governments worldwide by providing a key platform
for the dissemination of knowledge and information, allowing cities and their local
governments to act as a concerted governance group committed to sustainability initiatives.
Local Agenda 21 was the manifestation of a new culture of governance, where local
governments in cities and their decision-making would be recognised as a vital tool in
shaping global sustainability. Over the last 20 years, there has been a growing recognition
of the role that cities and their respective local governments have. However, more remains
to be done in terms of recognising local governments. Cities have been learning from each
other, knowledge sharing has spurred cities worldwide to embark upon wide ranging urban
512 K. Otto-Zimmermann
Downloaded by [202.154.27.200] at 20:08 27 June 2015
sustainability initiatives, of which ICLEI has played an integral part. Furthermore, sustainability
principles are increasingly becoming integrated into private sector activities and the
services they offer. The involvement of private sector companies and businesses is essential
in terms of knowledge, human capacity, technological advancement and finance. The latter
of which is especially important in times of government fiscal austerity. Simultaneously,
civil society has become more involved, driving change through bottom-up approaches
and sustainable communities, all with the primary objective of improving their local
human and natural environment. The increased stakeholder involvement garners a sense
of support and involvement in the implementation of sustainability policies and strategies.
This collaborative approach to local policy and decisi

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Artikel ini telah didownload oleh: [202.154.27.200]Pada: 27 Juni 2015, di: 20:08Penerbit: RoutledgeInforma Ltd terdaftar di Inggris dan Wales terdaftar nomor: 1072954 terdaftarKantor: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UKLingkungan lokal: InternasionalJurnal keadilan dan keberlanjutanDetail publikasi, termasuk instruksi untuk penulis danInformasi Berlangganan:http://www.tandfonline.com/Loi/cloe20Dari Rio Rio + 20: perubahan peranpemerintah daerah dalam kontekspemerintahan global saat iniKonrad Otto-ZimmermannDiterbitkan online: 06 Jun 2012.Untuk mengutip artikel ini: Konrad Otto-Zimmermann (2012) dari Rio Rio + 20:perubahan peran pemerintah daerah dalam konteks pemerintahan global saat ini, setempatLingkungan: Jurnal internasional keadilan dan keberlanjutan, 17:5, 511-516, DOI:10.1080/13549839.2012.686564Link ke artikel ini: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2012.686564SILAKAN GULIR KE BAWAH UNTUK ARTIKELTaylor & Francis membuat setiap usaha untuk memastikan keakuratan semua informasi ("Konten") yang terdapat dalam publikasi di platform kami. Namun, Taylor & Francis,agen kami, dan pemberi lisensi tidak membuat pernyataan atau jaminan apa pun sebagaikeakuratan, kelengkapan, atau kesesuaian untuk tujuan apapun dari konten. Setiap pendapatdan pandangan yang diungkapkan dalam publikasi ini adalah pendapat dan pandangan penulis,dan tidak pandangan atau didukung oleh Taylor & Francis. Akurasi kontenseharusnya tidak dapat diandalkan dan harus diverifikasi secara independen dengan sumber-sumber primerinformasi. Taylor dan Francis tidak akan bertanggung jawab untuk setiap kerugian, tindakan, klaim,proses, tuntutan, biaya, pengeluaran, kerusakan, dan kewajiban lainnya apapun atauBagaimanapun juga disebabkan timbul secara langsung atau tidak langsung sehubungan dengan, dalam kaitannya dengan atau timbulkeluar dari penggunaan konten.Artikel ini dapat digunakan untuk penelitian, mengajar, dan tujuan studi pribadi. Setiapreproduksi substansial atau sistematis, redistribusi, menjual kembali, pinjaman, sub perizinan,sistematis pemasokan, atau dalam bentuk apapun kepada siapa pun secara tegas dilarang. Syarat &Kondisi akses dan penggunaan dapat ditemukan di http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-kondisiDari Rio untuk Rio120: perubahan peran pemerintah daerah dikonteks pemerintahan global saat iniKonrad Otto-Zimmermann∗Mendatang Rio + 20 konferensi PBB tentang pembangunan berkelanjutan telahdihasut penilaian yang reflektif 20 tahun terakhir dan transformasi, jika ada, darikami masyarakat dan ekonomi kita dalam konteks yang berubah planet dan meningkatkanmasalah lingkungan. Komponen utama dari penilaian ini berhubungan dengan globaltata kelola lingkungan dan kesesuaian struktur pemerintahan saat ini untukmenghadapi tantangan lingkungan kami. Kontribusi ini terlihat khusus pada peranof local governments, the most proximate level of governance to citizens, in theoverall context of the current global environmental governance structure. In doing soit will argue, that cities, and their local governments, need to be given full recognitionin terms of the role they have in achieving global sustainability, as well as meeting thechallenges of climate change and addressing general environmental pressures. Theintense concentration of human activity in cities has been the source of many of ourenvironmental problems, yet this same concentration also offers many of the solutions.The contribution will also look at the role of ICLEI – Local Governments forSustainability, and how the organization has evolved since its inception over 20 yearsago. Finally, it will ask “what is the future we want”, and whether current decisionmakersfully comprehend the extent to which global environmental governancestructures need to be reformed in order to achieve a future desirable for subsequentgenerations.Keywords: cities; local; global environmental governance; ICLEI1. IntroductionThe upcoming Rio+ 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development has instigateda reflective assessment of the last 20 years and the transformation, if any, of our societiesand our economies in the context of a changing planet and increasing environmental concerns.At the same time, it makes us think about the future we want. The first United NationsConference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also affectionately referred to asthe Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It was the first UN summitlinking environment to development, unprecedented in terms of its scope, penetration andpolitical involvement. It was the culmination of a new culture of concern over environmental,developmental and governance issues. It was a turning point in the way we view environmentand development by imprinting these concerns onto political consciousness at the UN level,as well as other levels of governance, society and the global economy.ISSN 1354-9839 print/ISSN 1469-6711 online# 2012 Taylor & Francishttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2012.686564http://www.tandfonline.com∗Email: [e-mail] EnvironmentVol. 17, No. 5, May 2012, 511–516Downloaded by [202.154.27.200] at 20:08 27 June 2015The fruition of the conference was the definitive creation of nine major groups,1 theanchoring of sustainable development and the establishment of a blueprint for thetwenty-first century, titled “Agenda 21”. For the latter to succeed, strategies, plans, policiesand processes at the national, regional and local level aimed at sustainable development arecrucial. Equally important is a strong commitment to the role that participatory processesshould have in environmental governance, public policy, and environment and developmentdecision-making.2. An increasing recognition of cities and local governmentsAs far back as the 1992 Earth Summit, Maurice Strong, the Secretary General of UNCEDstated that “If sustainable development does not start in the cities, it simply will not go.Cities have got to lead the way”. Prior to the Earth Summit Local Governments for Sustainability(ICLEI) was established in 1990 and one of its key aims was to overcome oneglaring omission in global environmental governance – local government involvement.Following the Earth Summit, a number of initiatives that aimed to instigate a gradualshift in global governance under the mantra of “thinking globally, acting locally” wereestablished to which ICLEI played an important part. The idea of “the urban challenge”was floated and the Curitiba Commitment pursued the creation of an Agenda 21 relevantfor local governments that would ensure a multi-sectorial environmental audit with astrong participatory approach. ICLEI was a leading actor in drafting a special section(Chapter 28) called Local Authority Initiatives in Support of Agenda 21 and a subsequentcall on all local governments to develop a “Local Agenda 21”.Although seen as a vital group in implementing the sustainable development agenda,local governments remained an entity that the United Nations was still uncertain of how tointegrate into the deliberations. In the words of ICLEI founder, Jeb Brugmann, “the UN overlookedthe fact that local governments are the key implementers of environmental policiesand often spend more money than any other level of government”. From the first EarthSummit to the present day, ICLEI has sought to highlight the role that local governments,the most proximate level of government to citizens, have in addressing global environmentalchallenges. This recognition became ever more prescient throughout the 1990s and into thetwenty-first century due to the rapid pace of urbanisation, whereby for the first time in humanhistory, over 50 per cent of the world’s population live in urban areas.2.1 Local Agenda 21 and increasing participatory governanceThe establishment of Local Agenda 21 prodded local governments in cities all over theworld to embark on cumulative local sustainability action in order to achieve positiveglobal results. This movement was supported by national and international associationsof local governments. Simultaneously, the role of ICLEI evolved overtime. The organisationnow acts as a vital link between local governments worldwide by providing a key platformfor the dissemination of knowledge and information, allowing cities and their localgovernments to act as a concerted governance group committed to sustainability initiatives.Local Agenda 21 was the manifestation of a new culture of governance, where localgovernments in cities and their decision-making would be recognised as a vital tool inshaping global sustainability. Over the last 20 years, there has been a growing recognition
of the role that cities and their respective local governments have. However, more remains
to be done in terms of recognising local governments. Cities have been learning from each
other, knowledge sharing has spurred cities worldwide to embark upon wide ranging urban
512 K. Otto-Zimmermann
Downloaded by [202.154.27.200] at 20:08 27 June 2015
sustainability initiatives, of which ICLEI has played an integral part. Furthermore, sustainability
principles are increasingly becoming integrated into private sector activities and the
services they offer. The involvement of private sector companies and businesses is essential
in terms of knowledge, human capacity, technological advancement and finance. The latter
of which is especially important in times of government fiscal austerity. Simultaneously,
civil society has become more involved, driving change through bottom-up approaches
and sustainable communities, all with the primary objective of improving their local
human and natural environment. The increased stakeholder involvement garners a sense
of support and involvement in the implementation of sustainability policies and strategies.
This collaborative approach to local policy and decisi