Why the Global Environment Needs Local Government: Lessons from the Johannesburg Summit

Professor Verchick explains how acting out of their own self-interest, local governments have begun to see that thinking and acting locally not only improve local conditions, but also contributes substantially to national and international environmental goals. Concluding that only through the coordination of international, national and local efforts to improve the environment will sustainable development be possible, Professor Verchick’s article is a forceful argument for the need for local action in confronting a global problem.