Local Agenda 21 (LA21) represents a response by municipal governments to the agenda set out at the Rio Earth Summit. Individual LA21s seek to construct a sustainability programme for their area, aimed at integrating environmental, economic and social objectives. This paper examines critically the purposes, characteristics and achievements of the LA21 process. Particular attention is given to elements of strong and weak sustainability, relative to green issues, social capital and business. Whilst LA21 has clearly generated a good deal of activity, there is little evidence that it is really helping municipalities to shift along the sustainability transition. The paper concludes that LA21 courts a number of risks, but must be given more time to realize its potential for influencing attitudes and behaviour.
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Paul Selman (2000) studied this question.