Adelaide, 3–6 March 2002

Preamble

Gathered in Adelaide, Australia, on 6 March 2002 we acknowledge that in the five years since the Newcastle Declaration and in the ten years since the Rio Earth Summit, much has been achieved at the local level in Australia in the quest for sustainability. We celebrate the achievements of Councils and local communities in Australia actively pursuing sustainable development objectives.

Action by various stakeholders has resulted in progress towards meeting the goals established at Rio de Janeiro. There remains a pressing need for further action at all levels to be accelerated if the global sustainable development objectives of Agenda 21 are to be realised. The Newcastle Declaration is acknowledged as a starting point. It is time to move from commitment to action.

Principles and values for local action towards sustainability

As representatives of Australian Local Government and members of the global community, we subscribe to the following fundamental principles:

Acknowledging the primacy of ecological sustainability, we are united in the responsibility for the well-being of present and future generations. Therefore, we will strive to achieve social equity and to reverse any action that contributes to poverty creation or social exclusion. We will also work towards achieving quality of life in a healthy environment. We value and respect differences in culture, gender, religion, race and age, and recognise and strengthen the leadership of youth through processes which empower. We recognise that diversity contributes to the social wealth of our communities, in particular the contribution of Indigenous peoples.

We share, not own this world, and recognise the right of all species to exist.

We believe that the economy, the human activities that process natural resources into goods and services that satisfy human and societal needs, must become socially just and ecologically efficient.

We accept shared responsibility for sustainable development. We will involve citizens and work in partnership with all levels of government and local stakeholders including Non Government Organisations, towards our global vision in a comprehensive, integrated way.

We acknowledge that globalisation poses significant challenges for the development of sustainability at the local level, and as such, all stakeholders and governments need to manage the distribution of wealth and access to essential resources in ways which ensure a fair and sustainable society.

We are united in our common belief that a peaceful world is a necessity for a sustainable society.

Our commitments to action

We, Local Government leaders, from Australia and neighbouring regions gathered in Adelaide, are committed to:

1. Continuing the implementation of Agenda 21 in our Local Governments and their communities

Priorities for action are to:

• Ensure adequate opportunities for networking, promotion and discussion of Agenda 21 and sustainability;
• Develop and maintain networks of all councils across Australia, the Asia Pacific region and internationally to address Agenda 21 and sustainability issues;
• Support leadership programs that enhance the capacity of Local Government to achieve sustainability;
• Ensure sustainability practices are the foundation for strategic, corporate and operational decision making;
• Celebrate and learn from the diversity within and between local communities and develop frameworks to integrate environmental and cultural sustainability.

To be addressed through the following approaches:

• Implement and monitor progress on sustainability by establishing dialogues and building relationships;
• Strengthen participatory democracy;
• Facilitate collaborative partnerships within and between communities with common goals;
• Assess all our local councils’ strategic, corporate and operational decision-making against sustainability objectives;
• Build upon and implement monitoring and reporting mechanisms;
• Develop and report measures with and for our communities to track and celebrate our progress to a sustainable society;
• Encourage and support other local authorities, whether neighbouring, regional, interstate or international municipalities, to develop an ongoing commitment to Agenda 21;
• Work collaboratively with other stakeholders by participating in regional, state, national and global forums on sustainable development;
• Harness information, knowledge and skills located in the community.

2. Continuing the implementation of Agenda 21 by establishing partnerships with non-government organisations, business and finance, and education and research institutions

Priorities for action are:

• Identify and facilitate strategic opportunities for cross-sectoral partnerships.

To be addressed through the following approaches:

• Achieve mutually agreed outcomes for sustainable development;
• Address the priority areas, as identified internationally (or globally), of poverty eradication, reversing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and protecting and managing natural resources;
• Provide practical support for effectively achieving sustainability at the local level by fostering information exchange and technology transfer mechanisms;
• Develop partnerships based on achieving mutually beneficial outcomes for sustainability.

3. Continuing the implementation of Agenda 21 by working as a partner with national, state and territory governments

Priorities for action are:

• Renew our collective commitment to Agenda 21;
• Work in partnership with state, territory and the commonwealth governments to develop sustainability policy agendas;
• Communicate processes and outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to Local Governments and their communities;
• Adopt sustainability as a guiding principle in all international agreements.

To be addressed through the following approaches:

• Provide practical support to local government to adopt and mainstream sustainable development into local Councils’ strategic, corporate and operational decision-making;
• Develop adaptable, flexible and responsive partnerships;
• Remove barriers that inhibit the transfer of sustainable technologies and promote the development of local technologies that will facilitate local solutions to local problems;
• Participate in global forums and address the priority areas, as identified internationally;
• Develop agreed targets and standards;
• Review, at all levels of government, legislation, statutory instruments and policy for consistency with sustainability principles;
• Advocate that all development is biodiversity positive;
• Aim for a zero waste society;
• Share experiences and outcomes from effective partnership arrangements;
• Support initiatives for reversing the effects of climate change.

We the undersigned support and acknowledge the outcomes as listed in the above statements.