OVGU Präsentation 00.00.

2009 1

Sustainability from a Political Science Perspective

Prof. Dr. Michael Böcher

Michael.Boecher@ovgu.de

04 Aug 2022
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I. Societal Challenge Sustainability

„It‘s the end of the world as we

know it“
R.E.M. 1987
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Concepts of Sustainability

• Sustainability as a "wise way of forest management" and "a steady and

sustained use of the forest (Freiberger Oberberghauptmann Hans Carl von
Carlowitz (1645–1714) /Joachim Hamberger (Hrsg.), Sylvicultura oeconomica
oder Haußwirthliche Nachricht und Naturmäßige Anweisung zur Wilden Baum-
Zucht, München 2013, S. 87, S. 105.)

• Sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Brundtland-Bericht „ Our Common Future“ 1987

• "We are committed to bringing about sustainable development in its three

dimensions - economic, social and environmental - in a balanced and
integrated manner." (Agenda 2030, 2015, A/RES/70/1)

Pufé 2014: 18
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Sustainability means…

• the non-wasteful, economical, responsible use of non-renewable natural

resources and

• the use of renewable or renewable resources that takes into account their
respective regenerative capacity.

• The aim is long-term thinking and, in particular, long-term economic and social
action that uses nature today in such a way that the basis of life for future
generations is preserved in the long term (generational responsibility).

• encompasses 3 dimensions: Economy, environment, society

Quelle: Schubert, Klaus/Martina Klein: Das Politiklexikon. 7., aktual. u. erw. Aufl. Bonn: Dietz 2018. Lizenzausgabe Bonn:
Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung.
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What is sustainable development?

Since 2002: The
three pillars or
elements of
sustainability
“collective responsibility to advance and
strengthen the interdependent and
mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable
development—economic development,
social development and environmental
protection—at local, national, regional
and global levels.” (2002 World Summit
on Sustainable Deveopment)

Portney 2015, 10
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Agenda 2030

Azote Images for Stockholm Resilience Centre

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Transformation to Sustainability

• Normative concept as social / political guideline

• But: Contested!

• Scientific controversies

• Political controversies

• Topic areas: Environment, climate change, economy, population

development, social justice, ...

• (Great) transformation as a central concept

WBGU 2011
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Example: Strong vs. weak sustainability

• Central conflict: strong vs. weak sustainability
• Strong sustainability: immovable planetary boundaries and criticism of
the prevailing economic system: “Sufficiency”
• Weak sustainability: No criticism of the existing economic system and
shiftability of planetary boundaries: “Efficiency” / technological
progress

8
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II. Political Science and Sustainability

“I've got the apolitical blues

And that's the meanest blues of all”
Lowell George, 1972
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Political Science and Sustainability

• Political science "studies how binding rules for social

coexistence are achieved through politics" (Naßmacher 2010)

• “Political practice is orientated toward organising collective

action in the context of differing short-term interests and the
power relationships that exist in modern society“ (Warren
1999)

• Public policy analysis: policy content in individual “policy

fields” and how political decisions on these are reached
(Böcher/Töller 2012: 13)
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Political Science in „3-D“

• Polity: how do existing institutional frameworks influence the
transformation to sustainability?

• Politics: how do social disputes and power influence the

transformation to sustainability?

• Policy: what are the political contents that are discussed with
regard to sustainability?
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Political Science and Sustainability

• Transformation to sustainable development as a political process

between power, interests, conflict and consensus

• Normative policy idea and how it can be achieved in the

interaction of the policy dimensions polity, politics and policy

• Dependent variable: sustainability policy decisions

• Independent variables: Influencing factors of the political process

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Political Science and Sustainability

• Political Process Inherent Dynamics Approach (PIDA)

Böcher/Töller 2012, 2014, 2016

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Political Science and Sustainability

• Problem Structure of Sustainability

• Cross-sectional character
• Long-term nature
• Uncertainty

• Necessity: policy integration between actors, levels and sectors

internationally, nationally, sub-nationally (Böcher/Nordbeck 2014).
• But: contradicts logic of democracy and state organization.
• Electoral cycles, sectorally organized administration, self-interest of
political actors.
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Political Science and Sustainability

 Situational aspects like crises, catastrophes etc.
 Potential „Window of Opportunity“
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Political Science and Sustainability

• Institutions of sustainability

• Formal and informal rules and procedures of the

governmental system (Peters 1999).
• Institutional frameworks enable and constrain actions of
political actors (Hall/Taylor 1996).

• Examples from sustainability policy:

• Montreal Protocol on the protection of the ozone layer
• Kyoto Protocol on the reduction of greenhouse gases
• Paris agreement (2015)
• AGENDA 2030 of the UN (SDG)
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Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) der UN

• Political sustainability goals of the UN
• Aim to reach global sustainable development
• Coming into force: 1. January 2016, time span: until 2030
• Ratified by 193 UN member stated (2015)
• Also known as: „Agenda 2030“

• Germany:
• 169 goals of Agenda 2030 shall be realized
• First report July 2016
• Political programme:
• German Sustainability Strategy
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UN-Agenda 2030

Azote Images for Stockholm Resilience Centre

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Advantages and Potentials of SDG?

• Providing orientation for political measures
• International consensus very symbolic
• Ambitious goals
• Understanding of sustainability very broad
• Universal approach: Necessity of development not exclusive
for „global south“
• Based on human rights and planetary boundaries
• Inclusive consultation
• Goal formulation
• Implementation
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…where are problems?

• Strategies and political programmes are not the same as succesful

implementation
• Goals of SDG are not coherent, some are even contradictory
• Realization and implementation need political processes, leading to
political conflicts
• Concrete measures have to be adopted by single states, voluntarily
• Internal conflicts and contradictions between SDG
• Some SDG are not realistic
• No hierarchical steering possible
• Financial sources weak
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…problems?

• Practical challenges with realization and evaluation of measures

• Different goals with different starting points for different states
• Too many goals without financial aids for their realization
• Some are not realistic (hunger, peace, corruption etc.)
• Goals and indicators follow Western standards, overtaxing other
countries
• Requirements for industrialized countries like Germany
• Difficult to implement and monitor
• Too little incorporation of civil society
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…problems?

• Underestimation of systemic reasons, eg for hunger, poverty

• Underestimation of interactions between our life and life in other
world regions
• Underestimation of gender aspects
• Economy itself not contested (growth instead of de-growth)
• Harmony between growth and sustainability
• Complexity, Visuality: project of Western-based globale elites
• Bureaucratic process that even Germany labels as „developing
country“
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Portney 2015
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III. Conclusions / Take home messages

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Conclusions / Take Home Messages

• Sustainability is not conflict-free, but an idea that must be
politically enforced in society
• Transformation to sustainable development as a political
process between power, interests, conflict and consensus
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Conclusions / Take Home Messages

• Political dimension of sustainability is essential
• Political Science as important scientific discipline to study
potentials for and barriers to sustainability transition
NESTED DIAGRAM OF SUSTAINABILITY

Mulligan, 2018, p. 91
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Thank you!

michael.boecher@ovgu.de