The role of the federal states in the peer review of German sustainability policy

What do the federal states contribute to Germany’s sustainability policy? What are the recommendations of the international peer review, and which of them have already been implemented in Baden-Württemberg? These issues were discussed by Tanja Gönner, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport in Baden-Württemberg, Dr. Günther Bachmann (General Secretary of the Council for Sustainable Development), Olaf Tschimpke (President f the Naturschutzbund Deutschland [German Society for Nature Conservation]), Andreas Jung (head of the parliamentary committee for sustainable development), and Wolfgang Schmalz (businessman; member of the Sustainability Conference and Baden-Württemberg’s corporate initiative) together with interested guests from the spheres of politics, business, science and society, in a podium discussion on 6 May, 2010 in the Baden-Württemberg federal state offices in Berlin. The podium discussion was moderated by Henning Banthien, CEO of IFOK.

The Baden-Württemberg sustainability strategy thus has a further focal point for its actions: The aim is to create a more effective network between national and state government, as well as between the individual federal states, and to promote the exchange of information on the subject of sustainable development. As a forerunner in matters relating to sustainability strategies at federal state level, Baden-Württemberg is referencing the “Peer Review of German Sustainability Policy,” which international experts submitted to the Chancellor in the autumn of last year. One of the review’s recommendations was to increase vertical integration between national government and the federal states. As a forerunner in the area of federal state sustainability strategies, Baden-Württemberg is acting on this recommendation and is committed to closer cooperation. The event in the Baden-Württemberg federal offices in Berlin on 6 May marked the starting point for these efforts. With its sustainability strategy, Baden-Württemberg is taking an innovative, long-term approach. The fundamental principle: Involving different participants, who share their experience across departments and disciplines, and jointly devise solutions for the current challenges relating to sustainability. All groups, associations, and organisations are actively involved in the work; as a result, ideas and proposals can be implemented locally in a targeted way. The federal state is setting a good example. In Berlin, Minister Gönner introduced the projects and described the successes achieved to date, and together with discussion partners and guests, talked about the strengths of the initiative and the challenges facing it. On the basis of this, the participants identified new insights for possible cooperation structures between national and state government and addressed the question of responsibility. All agreed that sustainability has to be a matter for the highest level, but also depends on a contribution from every individual. They came to the conclusion that one challenge is now to increase integration and shape sustainability policy at all levels over the long term and in a solution-driven manner.

IFOK has been involved in the sustainability strategy activities since the strategy was launched in 2007.