Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure?
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Results
3.1. General Trends
3.2. The Causes of Policy Failure
- Incomplete specification of aims or objectives;
- Inappropriate agency for implementation;
- Conflicting objectives within or between policies;
- Incentive failures;
- Conflicting directives from agencies or senior official;
- Limited competence of agency or those tasked with implementation;
- Inadequate administrative resources to support policy implementation; and,
- A failure to communicate with the affected community.
4. Discussion
4.1. Interrelated Structural Causes
4.2. Implementation Traps
4.3. Knowledge/Scope Issues
4.4. Comparison of Policy Failure in Different Contexts
5. Conclusions
6. Further Research
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Specific Policies | Number of Publications |
---|---|
International Policies/Agreements/Conventions | 15 |
Agenda 21 | |
United Nation Conference on Environment and Development Statement of Forest Principles 1992 | |
Convention on Biological Diversity | |
Kyoto Protocol | |
Local Agenda 21 | |
Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention | |
Rio Declaration | |
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) | |
World Soil Charter | |
Convention on the Sustainable Use of Soils | |
Millennium Development Goals | |
UNCED Statement of Forest Principles 1992 | |
Trans-National Policies/Agreements/Conventions | 6 |
Sustainable Development Agreement | |
Common Fisheries Policy (EU) | |
European Union Emisions Trading System | |
EU Energy Label | |
Aalborg Charter | |
Natura 2000 | |
National, Regional/State, Local Policies (organized by country) | 29 |
Australia | 3 |
Melbourne 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth (Australia) | |
Murray Darling Basin Authority “Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan” (Australia) | |
Sydney’s 2005 Metropolitan Strategy (Australia) | |
Bangladesh | 1 |
National Environmental Policy 1992 (Bangladesh) | |
Botswana | 10 |
Tribal Land Act (1968) (Botswana) | |
Tribal Grazing Land Policy (TGLP) (Botswana) | |
National Policy on Agricultural Development (NPAD) (Botswana) | |
The Agricultural Resources Conservation Act (1974) (Botswana) | |
Diseases of Animals Act (1977) (Botswana) | |
Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act (1992) (Botswana) | |
Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Policy of 2007 (Botswana) | |
Arable Land Development Programme (ALDEP) (1981–2008n) (Botswana) | |
Support for Livestock Owners in Communal Areas (SLOCA) (1979) (Botswana) | |
Livestock Water Development Programme (LWDP) (1991) (Botswana) | |
Canada | 1 |
Canada Endangered Species Protection Act | |
China | 4 |
Green GDP (China) | |
National Environmental Model City Programme (China) | |
Engagement of International Business Community (China) | |
Tradeable Emission Permits (China) | |
Colombia | 1 |
Decree 948 (Colombian law to remove gold processing from urban areas) | |
India | 2 |
Swajal Dhara (India) | |
Aapale Pani (India) | |
Nepal | 5 |
The Environment Protection Act 1997 (Nepal) | |
The Forest Act 1992 (Nepal) | |
The Water Resource Act 1992 (Nepal) | |
Vehicle and Transport Management Act 1992 (Nepal) | |
Industrial Enterprises Act 1992 (Nepal) | |
Netherlands | 1 |
National Environmental Policy Plans (Netherlands) | |
Peru | 1 |
General Fisheries Act (Peru) | |
Philippines | 1 |
Crocodile Farming Institute (Philippine Initiative) | |
South Africa | 11 |
White Paper on Reconstruction and Development Programme, 1994 (South Africa) | |
White Paper on Housing Policy and Strategy for South Africa, 1994 | |
Development Facilitation Act (DFA), 1995 (South Africa) | |
Urban Development Strategy,1996 (South Africa) | |
Housing Act, 1997 (South Africa) | |
Urban Development Framework, 1997 (South Africa) | |
Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (South Africa) | |
National Urban Renewal Programme, 2001 (South Africa) | |
White Paper on Spatial Planning and Land Use Management, 2001 (South Africa) | |
National Urban Development Framework, 2009 (South Africa) | |
National Development Plan, 2011 (South Africa) | |
Spain | 1 |
Ley de Costas (Shore Act) 1988 (Spain) | |
Sweden | 1 |
HUR2050: Sustainable Development for the Region (Sweden) | |
Ukraine | 1 |
Forests of Ukraine Program | |
United Kingdom | 11 |
1990 White Paper: This Common Inheritance (UK) | |
Sustainable Development, the UK Strategy | |
Changing Patterns (UK Consumption Strategy) | |
Government Sponsored Windpower Programme (UK and Denmark) | |
Local Government Climate Resolution (UK) | |
Lord Provost's Commission on Sustainable Development (UK) | |
Moving Forward (UK) | |
Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (UK) | |
Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998 (UK) | |
Packaging Waste Recovery Note (PRN) system (UK) | |
Urban Taskforce Report (UK) | |
United States of America | 7 |
Clean Air Act (US) | |
Clean Water Act (US) | |
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (US) | |
US Pollution Prevention Act | |
Technology Innovation Strategy (US) | |
Project XL (EPA US) | |
Common Sense Initiative (EPA US) |
Reasons for Policy Failure | Number of Papers | |
---|---|---|
Interrelated Structural Causes | Economic | 48 |
Social | 24 | |
Environmental | 5 | |
Political | 42 | |
Technical | 9 | |
Legal | 32 | |
Discursive | 19 | |
Implementation Traps | Incomplete specification | 13 |
Inappropriate agency | 24 | |
Conflicting objectives | 30 | |
Incentive failures | 31 | |
Conflicting directives | 9 | |
Limited competence | 21 | |
Inadequate administrative resources | 22 | |
Communication failure | 47 | |
Knowledge/scope issues | Incomplete understanding of problem | 15 |
A reading of issues that is too narrow | 22 | |
Lack of Evaluation | 14 |
Factors Cited | Percentage of Cases in Developing Countries | Percentage of Cases in Developed Countries | Percentage of International Studies | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Interrelated Structural Causes | Economic | 59 | 58 | 52 |
Social | 32 | 25 | 14 | |
Environmental | 14 | 5 | 0 | |
Political | 45 | 50 | 38 | |
Technical | 14 | 8 | 14 | |
Legal | 45 | 28 | 35 | |
Discursive | 0 | 10 | 29 | |
Implementation Traps | Incomplete specification | 27 | 10 | 10 |
Inappropriate agency | 36 | 18 | 28 | |
Conflicting objectives | 36 | 33 | 31 | |
Incentive failures | 41 | 25 | 35 | |
Conflicting directives | 23 | 10 | 3 | |
Limited competence | 41 | 10 | 17 | |
Inadequate administrative resources | 36 | 15 | 21 | |
Communications failures | 55 | 65 | 24 | |
Knowledge/Scope Issues | Incomplete understanding of problem | 27 | 0 | 29 |
Too narrow reading of issues | 32 | 18 | 29 | |
Lack of evaluation | 23 | 13 | 10 |
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Howes, M.; Wortley, L.; Potts, R.; Dedekorkut-Howes, A.; Serrao-Neumann, S.; Davidson, J.; Smith, T.; Nunn, P. Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure? Sustainability 2017, 9, 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020165
Howes M, Wortley L, Potts R, Dedekorkut-Howes A, Serrao-Neumann S, Davidson J, Smith T, Nunn P. Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure? Sustainability. 2017; 9(2):165. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020165
Chicago/Turabian StyleHowes, Michael, Liana Wortley, Ruth Potts, Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes, Silvia Serrao-Neumann, Julie Davidson, Timothy Smith, and Patrick Nunn. 2017. "Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure?" Sustainability 9, no. 2: 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020165