PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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public participation and democratic decision-making. Greater democracy is both an
end in itself and is vital to the protection of the environment and the sound
management of natural resources; achieve social, economic and political justice and
equal access to resources and opportunities for men and women on the local, national,
regional and international levels; promote environmentally sustainable development
on the local, national, regional and global levels. 53
The German Branch of Friends of the Earth International, the Bund für Umwelt
und Naturschutz Deutschland (Alliance for Environment and Nature Protection Germany,
BUND) is a perfect example of how nature conservation “went mainstream” during the
1980s and 90s. The BUND itself summarizes its own evolution from a conservationist
movement to a broad activist organization as follows (see www.bund.net):
BUND was founded in 1975 as a federation of pre-existing regional groups. Some
local branches date back to 1913. BUND has its origins in the nature conservation
movement. Today the organisation is one of the most powerful environmental
organisations in Germany. BUND has 375,000 members and supporters. Members are
active in some 2,200 local and regional groups, which do everything from lobbying
work to practical nature conservation. BUND works on all of today's major
environmental issues and is a well recognized lobbyist with a high media profile.
Campaigning priorities are sustainable transport, fighting nuclear power, improving
nature protection laws, and greening the German tax system. Internationally, BUND
works on climate policy and is coordinating Friends of the Earth International´s
campaign on the Rio+10 summit in 2002.
Several large environmental organizations now specifically target the European
Union and its policy-making. None of these take a clearly identifiable eco-centric
renunciation perspective any more. For example, the European Environmental
Bureau’s (EEB) specific mission is “to promote environmental policies and sustainable
policies on the European Union level” (www.eeb.org). For the EEB,
Sustainability is not purely a matter of environmental policies. Social, economic and
cultural dimensions are relevant; the EU has a major influence beyond its own
territory. The environmental dimensions of enlargement, the direct relationships with
53 See http://www.foei.org/about/mission_statement.html.