Sustainability Policy: Key Actors in Its Design—the Role of Public Administration, Policy Entrepreneurs and the Judicial System

Sustainability policy serves as a strategic framework to balance economic, social, and environmental needs, ensuring the well-being of present and future generations. It is grounded in sustainable development, which promotes economic growth and social welfare while preserving natural resources.
In the public sector, public administration plays a central role in planning, formulating, and implementing sustainability policies. This governance process requires inter-institutional, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral collaboration, balancing political, economic, professional, and social considerations. The professional civil service is crucial in driving policy processes—drafting action plans, formulating regulations, conducting environmental impact assessments (EIAs), enforcing compliance, and mediating between political decision-makers and experts from academia and civil society.
Policy entrepreneurs—including elected officials, civil servants, academics, and activists—advance innovative ideas. They identify problems, propose solutions, mobilize support, and create "policy windows" that enable meaningful change.
The judicial system also defines the boundaries of sustainability policy. Courts serve as institutions of judicial review, adjudicating cases related to environmental rights, urban planning, resource allocation, and intergenerational equity. Through statutory interpretation and landmark rulings, the judiciary influences policy implementation and the scope of governmental authority.
In summary, designing sustainability policy is a complex process involving interactions among diverse institutional and political actors within a multi-systemic framework to promote balanced, long-term development.
This panel session analyzes the interactions, strategies, and impacts of these key actors. We invite proposals for theoretical, empirical, or comparative papers addressing the following topics:
• Public Administration Challenges: Inter-sectoral coordination, compliance enforcement, and EIAs in civil service.
• Policy Entrepreneurship: Strategies used by entrepreneurs to open and leverage "policy windows" for environmental agendas.
• Judicial Review & Sustainability: The role of court rulings, legal interpretations, and judicial activism in promoting environmental rights and intergenerational equity.
• Multi-Systemic Governance: Managing institutional tensions between executive, legislative, and judicial bodies, alongside academic and civil society experts.