“Sustainable development in theory and practice”‐ An inter‐Nordic Internet course for regional and local officials and practitioners

Theories and practice of sustainable development have to be discussed and developed within a broad range of actors in different areas of society. The complex concept of sustainable development interacts with at least four separate systems that in one way or another affect each other: ecosystem function and change, economic performance and change, technological performance and change and social performance and change. We have to analyse the interrelationship to these systems in order to find a future sustainable path. Describes an inter‐Nordic cooperation project educating regional and local officials and practitioners in sustainable development using the Internet as a course platform. The course content discusses the relation between the four system areas in its theoretical part (Block 1). In another – more practical – part of the course (Block 2), we discuss “best practice” in different Nordic countries and experiences in using environmental and sustainability indicators on the national, regional and local level.