ABSTRACT
Introduction Where does all this leave us? There is the pessimistic view that sustainable development is no more than rhetoric as the economic imperatives will always prevail over the wider concerns of the environment. Perhaps the nearest the economists come to recognising sustainable development is through sustainable growth where there is still a commitment to the narrow concept of growth and value added. Where optimism may prevail is in following Daly (1991) in seeing the economy as part of the wider environment. Yet even here, there are dangers and strong barriers to the effective implementation of sustainable development. This is where planning has a key, perhaps an instrumental role, as some 70 per cent of all energy consumption is influenced by planning (Pinnegar, 1999). In this chapter, we present some of the main barriers to the effective implementation of sustainable development and sketch out the next steps in formulating the means by which they can be overcome. If planning is to take the lead, it is here that it must be in the vanguard of creative discussion and positive action.
