Government Guide to Sustainability Impact Assessments

David Novak  
(Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak)

Abstract: Global sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue, as evidenced by the numerous conferences of the UN and its sister organizations with worldwide participation. The goal is a critical inventory of the desirable goals, as well as the questioning of the current status quo and the procedure. There are obvious gaps that will be briefly discussed. This paper does not only deal with state sustainability, but shows the approach of this topic by the German state. Not only the basic assumptions and the goals are documented, but these are, as far as possible, checked for their realism or feasibility. Method comparison of the defined procedure by the German Federal Government with the goals set by the UN and the finding of possible deviations. Research findings are shown within a brief summary to offer an opportunity for further analysis, discussions, or results. The sustainability test is an accepted possibility to measure effects on nature, based on indicators and values. The estimation of legal consequences must be borne in full by all decision makers. Ecology, Society, Technology and Economy have to go hand in hand and people have to be taught their current behavior regarding environment costs money. Results and implications for practice, applications and consequences are identified. Sustainability and its effects can be evaluated in the short, mid and long term run. All people worldwide are influenced by lived or just not lived sustainability massive in their lives. Avenues of future research should always include sustainability tests and estimations of legal consequences regarding the decisions done by politicians at this matter. This paper deals with sustainability and the associated consequences in the area of legislation, as well as with the verification of the achievement of individual environmental goals.

Key words: sustainability reviews; estimates of legal consequences

JEL codes: K32, Q01, Q48, Q58