The sustainability inventory: a tool of assist US municipalities advance towards sustainability

摘要

Over 6000 municipalities across the globe are doing their part to contribute to a more sustainable way of life (ICLEI, 2002a). In part, it is in response to the Local Agenda 21 mandate set forth during the 1992 UN Earth Summit which calls on local governments world-wide to develop plans for sustainability (UN, 1992). Local governments were specifically targeted in Agenda 21 due to the critical role they play in creating a sustainable community. Municipalities can significantly advance community sustainability by developing infrastructure that meets green building standards, creating regulatory incentives which promote a sustainable economy, passing zoning by-laws that establish sustainable patterns of land use and procuring good and services that meet environmentally and socially responsible standards. In addition, local government can maximise the resource efficiency of the environmental services for which they are typically charged with providing - e.g. water treatment, waste management and natural resource management. This article examines the utility of a tool, the Sustainability Inventory, developed by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), in advancing the ability of US municipalities to move towards sustainability.