U. Svedin – författare

Following the report by the World Commission on Environment and Development, research efforts devoted to sustainable development were promoted by the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research (FRN). With its fifteen essays by Swedish scholars on different aspects of society - environment interface, giving various analyses of and prospects for the concepts of sustainable development - this book is a result of those efforts. The authors represent a spectrum of inter- and multidisciplinary approaches in the field of ecology, economy and environment. They are economists, ecologists, engineers, anthropologists, physicists, geographers, political scientists, science theorists and educationalists discussing sustainable development and the future of society and the environment. The question is also raised whether there is a special Swedisch "touch" - with a "responsbility for the world" ethos - to the approach to environmental issues, especially as seen through the efforts of the research community.

The internationalization of the world has put issues of governance to the fore. During the 1990's, international cooperation on environmental issues has increased, especially after UNCED in Rio de Janeiro 1992. In this book, a number of people with experience of environmental affairs contribute their views on the lessons learned from environmental governance so far, the current situation, and the prospects for the future of this mode of solving common international issues. Their professional backgrounds range from academia and diplomacy to activism. Among the contributors to the book, experts on governance, international negotiations and local experiences can be found; this collected volume therefore offers perspectives from science, business, and non-governmental organizations.

This book deals with the challenges posed by the transformation of society towards much-needed sustainability. Especially, it deals with the local condi- tionalities ofthis change, but seen in a global context. Indeed, its two cases are Swedish, but the problems ofhow to relate to a globalized world are common in the world oftoday. The two cases have been deliberately chosen to expose alternative types ofchoices for the local communities involved: one that relates to the nation state and one that may use short cuts and relate more directly to a broader context while still being very local. This research has been part of a broader EU project and constitutes the Swedish contribution. The other countries involved in the European project were Austria, Portugal, Greece and the United Kingdom. The overall project leader was ProfessorTim O'Riordan, University ofEast Anglia, Norwich, UK, to whom we convey our thanks.The Swedish part was led by the undersigned, together with Professors Anders Hjort af Ornas and Ulrik Lohm, Linkoping University,asmembers ofthe core group.The European EUproject was reported in 200I in the book Globalism, Localism andIdentity.New Perspectives on the Transition to Sustainability, edited by Tim O'Riordan (Earthscan, London).

The internationalization of the world has put issues of governance at the heart of our future. This is obvious for most people when it comes to the environment. During the 1990's international cooperation on environmental issues has increased, especially after UNCED in Rio de Janeiro 1992. In this book, a number of distinguished people with experience of environmental affairs contribute their views on the lessons learned from environmental governance so far, the current situation, and the prospects for the future of this mode of solving common international issues. Their professional backgrounds range from academia and diplomacy to activism. Among the contributors to the book, experts on governance, international negotiations and local experiences can be found; this collected volume therefore offers perspectives from science, business, and non-governmental organizations.

This book deals with the challenges posed by the transformation of society towards much-needed sustainability. Especially, it deals with the local condi- tionalities ofthis change, but seen in a global context. Indeed, its two cases are Swedish, but the problems ofhow to relate to a globalized world are common in the world oftoday. The two cases have been deliberately chosen to expose alternative types ofchoices for the local communities involved: one that relates to the nation state and one that may use short cuts and relate more directly to a broader context while still being very local. This research has been part of a broader EU project and constitutes the Swedish contribution. The other countries involved in the European project were Austria, Portugal, Greece and the United Kingdom. The overall project leader was ProfessorTim O'Riordan, University ofEast Anglia, Norwich, UK, to whom we convey our thanks.The Swedish part was led by the undersigned, together with Professors Anders Hjort af Ornas and Ulrik Lohm, Linkoping University,asmembers ofthe core group.The European EUproject was reported in 200I in the book Globalism, Localism andIdentity.New Perspectives on the Transition to Sustainability, edited by Tim O'Riordan (Earthscan, London).