ABSTRACT
Most local authorities accepted that to date Local Agenda 21 (LA21) has had a small, very small, or no impact on key issues such as health, meeting basic needs, or social services. One consideration with regard to the assessment of the success or otherwise of LA21 must be the results of capacity-building processes. LA21 is by no means the panacea that some of its advocates claim it to be. In many parts of the country it is invisible to the public, often even in those areas seen by “experts” as examples of good practice. If LA21 is to have an impact then it should be leading to projects and programmes that would otherwise not have happened. LA21 must promote and enable environmental change, and a good LA21 strategy should set clear targets for both a local authority and the community it serves.
