DISCUSSION PAPER WISSENSCHAFTSZENTRUM BERLIN FÜR SOZIALFORSCHUNG SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER BERLIN FS II 95-301 25 Years of Modern Environmental Policy in Germany. Treading a Well-Worn Path to the Top of the International Field. Helmut Weidner ISSN 1011-9523 Forschungsschwerpunkt: Research Area: Technik — Arbeit — Umwelt Technology — Work — Environment Abteilung: Research Unit: Normbildung und Umwelt Standard-setting and Environment ZITIERWEISE z CITATION Helmut Weidner 25 Years of Modern Environmental Policy in Germany. Treading a Well-Worn Path to the Top of the International Field. Discussion Paper FS II 95 - 301 Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung 1995 Forschungsschwerpunkt: Research Area: Technik — Arbeit — Umwelt Technology — Work — Environment Abteilung: Research Unit: Normbildung und Umwelt Standard-setting and Environment Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung Reichpietschufer 50, D-10785 Berlin Tel.: +49/30/25491-0 z Fax: +49/30/25491-684 E-mail:
[email protected] z Internet: http://www.wz-berlin.de 25 Years of Modern Environmental Policy in Germany. Treading a Well-Worn Path to the Top of the International Field Summary The development of a systematic environmental policy began in Germany over 25 years ago. In the meantime "environmental protection" has become an established area of policymaking and is still expanding. Nevertheless, state environmental policy is once again subject to severe societal pressure. On the one hand, demands are being made with great vigour that the concept of "sustainable development"