Deliberative Governance for Sustainable Development

<p><em>Deliberative Governance for Sustainable Development</em><b> </b>argues that governance has become the core problem of sustainable development and identifies deliberative democracy and governance as a path forward for Western societies. </p><p>In this book the author puts forward three messages. Firstly while sustainable development theoretically is a common good of all people it is in practice constantly associated with a multitude of smaller and larger conflicts. These conflicts arise repeatedly because in practice the benefits costs and risks of sustainable development are unequally distributed and therefore form a massive barrier to sustainable development. As a result sustainable development depends on the ability of the social and political institutions of societies to accommodate these conflicts. Second within the framework of their established institutional structures Western societies do not have the sufficient tools for conflict resolution that are adequate to the conditions of modern diversified societies and the complex challenges of sustainable development. They need to implement institutional reforms that switch institutional structures towards deliberation. Third by switching to deliberation Western societies can reach the high level of governance that enables them to achieve environmentally sustainable development that will bring them significant economic and social benefits and as a result may reach far beyond their borders. </p><p>This volume offers a novel transdisciplinary approach to sustainable development and governance in Western societies. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of sociology economics politics environmental studies and philosophy as well as professionals and policymakers working in the area of sustainable development.</p>