Important problem areas and risks in our societies are increasingly being addressed from the perspective of "sustainable development". As a result, areas of political action with a cross-cutting and long-term character are becoming increasingly important and represent a prerequisite for the survival of human civilisation on this planet. Both the need to avoid or minimise future damage to people and nature by means of current activities ("Rio process") and to achieve desirable future-oriented development paths ("sustainable development") by means of targeted political control under risk increase the need for suitable institutions and procedures.

As part of the project, research and interviews were conducted in selected countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden) to analyse which innovative approaches exist there for the political and administrative handling of the topic of sustainable development. The aim was to clarify which of the particularly interesting approaches and experiences could be utilised in Germany.