The concept of sustainable development has gained tremendous popularity since Rio but is still challenging to consider in everyday political practice. The Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development, in its opinion on the 2004 progress report on the National Sustainability Strategy of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, thus asked for an instrument to assess legislation on its sustainability. On 28 February 2007 the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development held a public hearing on the Sustainability Impact Assessment instrument, which aimed at discussing existing concepts for Sustainability Impact Assessments as well as their integration in parliamentary procedures.

Against the background of the experiences with impact assessment in the EU and its Member States, Anneke von Raggamby presented a summary of the opportunities offered by the Sustainability Impact Assessment instrument as well as its limitations. In the second part of her presentation [pdf, 9.6 MB, German], she focused on the national particularities to be considered when introducing a Sustainability Impact Assessment system in Germany, such as German federalism. Finally she outlined which elements of Sustainability Impact Assessments would be possible for Germany.

The following experts were invited to the hearing:

• Frau Lydia Illge, Research Fellow within the DIW Berlin, within the field energy, traffic and environment
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Rennings, Centre for European Economic Research (Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH, ZEW), Director of the Programme „Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management“
• Prof. Dr. Arnim Grunewald, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, (ITAS)
• Anneke von Raggamby, Political Scientist, Ecologic – Institute for European and Environmental Policy
• Dr. Kerstin Arbter, Technisches Büro für Landschaftsplanung
• Priv. Doz. Dr. Hans Diefenbacher, Beauftragter des Rates der EKD für Umweltfragen

Further links:

• Further information on the hearing that took place on 28th February 2007 can be found on the website of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development.
• National Sustainability Strategy of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany