Sustainability and Parliaments: Survey and Perspectives RIO +20. Summary

At the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, countries committed themselves to sustainable action. Since then, structures and processes have been modified in politics and administration worldwide, and new bodies and procedures have been created. So far, these changes have mostly been carried out by the executive. The TAB report sheds light for the first time on the contribution of parliaments to sustainable action. To this end, it describes the activities of the German Bundestag and the parliaments of the Länder with regard to constructive participation in shaping national sustainability policy, as well as providing an overview of the activities of the parliaments of other Länder. It becomes clear that the legislatures also launched corresponding institutional and procedural innovations. However, this alone is not enough. Further continuous parliamentary learning processes are also necessary if parliaments want to play a more active role in sustainability policy.
The TAB report pays special attention to the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development of the German Bundestag, which was established in 2004. ... mehrWith its objectives and working methods, it plays a pioneering role in international comparison. In spite of its acknowledged good work, there are many opportunities to better integrate the guiding principle of sustainable development into the political processes of the German Bundestag on an ongoing basis. The TAB report offers substantial information and a variety of suggestions in this regard.