|
Access to environmental information, public participation in environmentally relevant decision-making, as well as access to courts for environmental stakeholders, is essential for enhancing public awareness and for the development and implementation of widely supported environmental policies.
Further to the recommendation on Environmental Information adopted by OECD Environment Ministers and the OECD Council in 1998, OECD is systematically reviewing progress concerning the availability of and access to environmental information, as well as the degree to which stakeholders and the public participate in environmental decision making processes.
Availability of high quality environmental information is indispensable for effective and efficient environmental management and the design, implementation and evaluation of related policies. The OECD work on environmental data and indicators is assisting OECD countries in this respect.
Access to environmental information has become a right of citizens in OECD countries. It is recognised as a fundamental tool to carry out more responsive and cost-effective environmental policies at international, national and sub-national levels. Citizens and NGOs should be involved from the beginning in the planning and assessment of policies and projects. They should also have access to courts.
Availability of and access to information, as well as participatory approaches are systematically reviewed in the social chapters of Environmental Country Reviews. An OECD seminar in 2000 took stock of the state of public access to environmental information in OECD countries. Work is also underway on participatory decision-making related to sustainable consumption.
Links to Relevant OECD Reports and Publications
Open Government: Fostering Dialogue with Civil Society (2003)
This publication examines how to build robust legal, institutaion and policy frameworks ffor access to information, consultation and public participation in policy-making. It focuses on lessons from experience from both OECD member and non-member countries in seeking to apply the principles of good governance in practice and to build effective partnerships between government, citizens and civil society organizations.
Participatory Decision Making for Sustainable Consumption (2002)
This report raises key issues concerning the impact of citizens' involvement in decision-making processes related to household consumption.
Information and Consumer Decision-Making for Sustainable Consumption: Report of an OECD Workshop (2002)
This report analyses the process of consumer decision-making and identifies some effective mechanisms to providing information able to generate positive changes in consumer behaviour towards sustainable consumption.
Citizens as Partners: OECD Handbook on Information, Consultation and Public Participation in Policy-Making (2001)
This handbook offers government officials practical assistance in strengthening relations between government and citizens. It combines a brief review of basic concepts, principles, concrete examples of good practice, tools (including new information and communication technologies) as well as tips from practice. The approach and activities shown in this handbook support and complement formal institutions of democracy, and strengthen the democratic process.
Citizens as Partners: Information, Consultation and Public Participation in Policy-MakingParticipatory Decision-Making for Sustainable Consumption (2001)
Governments are in a crisis of identity, some would say legitimacy, with election turnouts low in many OECD countries and a widespread feeling of disenchantment among citizens with government and the democratic process. Can governments do something to change this? Certainly, doing nothing is not an answer. What every country needs is more transparency, more consultation and more participation. This book is a unique source of comparative information on this challenging subject. It examines a wide range of country experiences, offers examples of good practice, highlights innovative approaches and identifies promising tools (including new information technologies). A set of ten guiding principles for engaging citizens in policy-making is proposed.
Proceedings for OECD Seminar "Public Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation (2000)
|
