Broad support of these principles and a shared desire to work toward sustainability form the foundation for effective green planning. But, as evidenced by the challenges inherent in this list, the green plan path is not an easy one to travel. Successful green plans require perseverance and commitment, strong leadership, policies guided by “big picture” needs, and an ability to achieve a new level of dialogue among disparate groups.

Green planning is by no means a “quick fix.” Its enduring rewards come from a lengthy and sometimes strenuous process that requires all the diligence of a prize fighter preparing to take the title. The process itself engenders important societal benefits—heightened communication and understanding, a feeling of purpose and belonging, and a reenergized democratic process. With green planning, victory is universal, providing a safeguarded environment and high quality of life for all participants and for many generations to come.

Translating Green Plan Principles into Practice

The following actions can help any nation, state, or community to forge a long-term environmental program that applies the above principles. In all cases, the environmental, economic, and social needs specific to a given location will dictate the terms of the process. Regardless of these differences, however, there are established “stepping stones” toward green plan implementation that can enable the challenging regulatory and political terrain to be traversed. Taken in order, these are:

1. Initiate a focused effort that brings together diverse interests to consider the long-term future, enabling each sector to express its priority needs/desires.
2. From this dialogue, craft a unifying vision that captures the contributions of all its voices and engenders a “chorus of concern” for long-term quality of life. (The vision statement of the Minnesota Sustainable Development Initiative provides an excellent model worthy of adoption by any principality; see next page.)
3. Articulate the underlying principles that comprise the vision using those presented above as a general guide.
4. Equip multi-sector leaders involved and the general public with a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the nation, state, or community, thus allowing for informed recommendations and decisions to be made.
5. With a reliable and comprehensive information base, establish a clear and defensible premise for pursuing new policy actions that better serve the needs of each sector.
6. Develop an integrated set of goals and objectives with a corresponding timetable and an appropriate set of indicators for tracking
7. Implement new policies and programs aimed at realizing the stated goals and objectives.
8. Devise strategies to ensure long-term commitment to the policies and programs adopted.

Implementing these actions will create a framework for achieving sustainable development. It will also spawn and strengthen the policy innovations necessary for continuous progress to be made. Because of the diverse support that comes from incorporating the priority concerns of all sectors, commitment to this endeavor will be strong, especially as its benefits are realized over time. This, in turn, will prompt the efficient governance and leadership required for ensuring long-term success.

Minnesota Sustainable Development Initiative Vision Statement

The Minnesota Sustainable Development Initiative envisions a future where businesses grow and prosper while respecting the natural and human environments that support them. In this future:

1. We Minnesotans make commitments and choices to preserve the options future generations will need to secure the quality of life we now enjoy. We see sustainable development as a positive, fundamental change in the way we define social progress, do business, and protect the environment.
2. We view the health of our natural environment, the strength of our community and our economic security as interdependent. We maintain our quality of life through the sustainable use of energy and natural resources, recognizing that population growth, resource consumption, and lifestyle choices determine the options we leave for future generations.
3. Our communities are places where all citizens enjoy rich opportunities in education, employment, involvement in community, and appreciation of the environment.
4. Our economy is healthy, diversified, globally competitive, and in harmony with Minnesota’s ecosystems; it provides all citizens ample opportunity for a fulfilling life.
5. Our natural environment is biologically and ecologically diverse and able to provide the resource benefits, products, and services needed for the indefinite future.
6. We continually work to change our political and economic systems so that they consistently reward economically efficient, socially beneficial, and environmentally sustainable behavior.

From Process to Product: Essential Elements of Sustainable Development

A community, state, or nation can only be considered sustainable once it possesses an acknowledged set of defining attributes. While the following is not intended to be a prescriptive listing of all factors comprising sustainability, it appears unlikely that a unit of government can achieve this goal if these elements are omitted.

Institutionalized Goals, Indicators, and Benchmarks
Knowing when to answer “yes” to the question“Are we there yet?” constitutes the first sustainability requirement. This is accomplished by having in place well-defined goals, indicators to measure progress toward those goals, and benchmarks for determining success. In order to be considered effective, these three elements must be the product of a participatory process involving a wide cross-section of the public and having the full cooperation of all government agencies. It must also be multidisciplinary. Knowing when to answer “yes” to “are we there yet?” constitutes the first sustainability requirement.

Integrated Laws, Policies, and Program Functions
Consistency of governmental action between agencies both vertically, from local to national, and horizontally, as between state cabinet level agencies, is a prerequisite for realizing sustainability. Thus public housing policy, transportation planning, water quality planning, environmental regulations, budgeting, and tax policy must be integrated, without conflict among them. The Netherlands has worked to integrate its laws to be consistent with the National Environmental Policy Plan. New Zealand revisited all of its environmental laws and integrated them into one act, the Resource Management Act. In the United States, New Jersey has taken two steps toward integration of environmental and growth management laws in the state’s Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) and water quality regulations to make them consistent with the State Development and Redevelopment Plan (SDRP). The SDRP is the unofficial instrument for implementation of New Jersey’s Sustainable State goals.

Effective Growth Management or “Smart Growth”
In many respects, how we arrange ourselves on the landscape with new construction and how we manage the built environment demonstrates how just, healthy, and efficient our future will be. Therefore, knowing what is needed, when it is appropriate, and planning what is to be built and where it is to be located are key elements in securing a sustainable future.

An Educated and Enlightened Public

No sustainability effort is deemed successful without broad public “buy-in.” Compliance with environmental protection law, indeed the development of law itself, requires the support of major political players and the public. Most environmental protection law is perceived to apply to polluters and public agencies, not to individuals. Yet, when the case is made and carried to the people, cooperation is obtained. Such is the situation, for example, with recycling and cigarette smoking in public places. Two decades ago, both recycling programs and smoking bans in indoor public places were a rarity. But intensive public education campaigns enabled strong laws to emerge and a culture change toward new daily practices.

Individuals make many natural resource use decisions. Each of us chooses when and how we use fossil fuel derived energy; whether it is flipping a switch, or a driving trip to the store for groceries, or an electrical or plumbing appliance purchase decision. We choose where to live in relation to our workplace, schools, and public transit. We choose the products we buy, and where to buy them, and how and when to recycle them. All these and other decisions determine how sustainable a society we have. Compelling public and quasi-public information and education programs can create sustainable consumers and a sustainable society.