Project Leader: Jim Skea
Sponsor: PREST/EU
Period: August 2001-January 2002
Background
The project aims to provide an analysis of the state of the art of national research initiatives in support of the implementation of national and EU SD policies and strategies. In particular, two types of research activities are of interest to this study:
1. Research conducted with a specific focus on sustainable development.
2. Research conducted in specific sectors or fields where the problem of SD is very pressing, and where the orientation of research towards objectives of SD is therefore particularly important.
Project Design
The key tasks are to:
· Map the key players in sustainable development in the selected
countries as an input to future network building at the European level
· Identify and review national research activities focusing specifically on
sustainable development, combined with an assessment of how far those activities
address the different focal threats to sustainable development, as identified
in the Commission's communication.
· Identify and review sectoral research activities focusing on the priorities
areas of the EC Communication on sustainable development, combined with an assessment
of how far the research activities performed in these sectors/fields actually
integrate and consider jointly the economic, environmental and social dimensions
of sustainable development.
· Analyse and compare "good practices" and gaps in current research initiatives,
and thus possibilities for their further improvement and/or the transferability
of good practices.
Importance of Research
An essential element in conducting the work on these two groups of SD-related research is the identification of the respective key actors. The findings will also be an important input for developing a future policy strategy to network key players in SD research at European level.