Bertelsmann Stiftung (ed.) Winning Strategies for a Sustainable Future Reinhard Mohn Prize 2013 Photo credits: Sebastian Pfütze: p. 41; Gerhard Heidorn/LAIF: pp. 56/cover, 58/cover, 65, 66, 78; Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB): pp. 63, 68, 71, 75, 77; Ghislaine Grasser: pp. 84, 92, 94/95, 96, 99; CREATISTA/Shutterstock.com: pp. 86/cover, 102; Daniel Korzieniewski/Shutterstock.com: p. 91; Taina Sohlman/Fotolia.com: p. 104; Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock.com: pp. 110, 124; Mika Heittola/Shutterstock.com: p. 113/cover; Joe Gough/Fotolia.com: p. 114; Gargonia/Shutterstock.com: p. 118; Estea/Shutterstock.com: cover (Helsinki), pp. 121, 123; Laura Burke: pp. 128/cover, 131, 132, 135, 138, 141, 144; Picture courtesy of the State of Tasmania: pp. 151 (photo: Richard Bennett), 156; Thomas Klinke/Panthermedia.net: p. 152/cover; Flo Fastl/Panthermedia.net: p. 158; Steffi Thiel/Fotolia.com: p. 162; Céline Diebold: p. 165, 168; Martina Berg/Panther- media.net: p. 166. Maps: Dieter Duneka. Portraits: Kerstin Andreae: Britt Schilling; Werner J. Bauer: Bertelsmann Stiftung; Peter Blom: Triodos Bank; Laura Burke: private; Aart De Geus: Arne Weychardt; Céline Diebold: Steffen Krinke; Jörg Dräger: Arne Weychardt; Martine Durand: OECD/Michael Dean; Andreas Esche: Jan Voth; Armando García Schmidt: Eva Blank; Maja Göpel: Faceland; Mark Halle: L’Oreal; Harald Heinrichs: Brinkhoff-Mögenburg/Leuphana; Klaus Jacob: FU Berlin; Marius Keller: Ghis- laine Grasser; Norman Laws: private; Brigitte Mohn: Arne Weychardt; Liz Mohn: Arne Weychardt; Ingeborg Niestroy: European Economic and Social Committee; Petra Pinzler: Nicole Sturz; Henrik Riedel: Thomas Kunsch; Uwe Schneide- wind: private; Björn Stigson: Siemens; Rita Süssmuth: Bertelsmann Stiftung; Darren Swanson: International Institute for Sustainable Development; Klaus Töpfer: Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies; Morgan Williams: Dairy NZ. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. © 2013 Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung, Gütersloh Responsible: Armando García Schmidt Translation/Editing: Barbara Serfozo, Berlin Production editor: Christiane Raffel Cover design: Elisabeth Menke Typesetting and Printing: Hans Kock Buch- und Offsetdruck GmbH, Bielefeld ISBN 978-3-86793-491-6 www.bertelsmann-stiftung.org/publications Contents Preface ................................................................... 7 Aart De Geus Strategy and Action for Sustainable Development – A Global Search for Best Practices ........................................... 11 Andreas Esche, Armando García Schmidt, Céline Diebold, Henrik Riedel Global Trends in Sustainable Development – A View from the RMP 2013 Global Search Process ............................. 19 Darren Swanson, Mark Halle, Armando García Schmidt, Andreas Esche Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Germany ..................................... 39 Harald Heinrichs, Norman Laws, Henrik Riedel Case Studies .............................................................. 53 Bhutan: Paradigms Matter ................................................... 55 Ingeborg Niestroy, Armando García Schmidt, Andreas Esche Costa Rica: Pioneering Sustainability .......................................... 81 Marius Keller, Ingeborg Niestroy, Armando García Schmidt, Andreas Esche Finland: Paving the Way toward a Social Contract for Sustainability ................. 103 Ingeborg Niestroy, Armando García Schmidt, Andreas Esche Ghana: Staying on Track in a Challenging Environment .......................... 127 Laura Burke, Armando García Schmidt Tasmania: Sustaining an Island’s Future ....................................... 149 Morgan Williams, Ingeborg Niestroy, Céline Diebold, Andreas Esche 5 Contents Factors Driving Strategic and Successful Sustainability Policy: What Can Germany Learn from the RMP 2013 Search Process? ................... 171 Klaus Jacob, Armando García Schmidt The Set of Criteria ......................................................... 183 The Working Committee .................................................... 193 The Authors and the RMP Team ............................................. 197 6 Ghana: Staying on Track in a Challenging Environment Laura Burke, Armando García Schmidt Burkina Africa Faso Côte Ghana d’Ivore Togo Nigeria Bénin Accra Gulf of Guinea 100 km Introduction Ghana’s path to sustainable development In 1987, when the Brundtland Report was published and countries around the world began to rally around the principles of sustainable development, Ghana was still a forgotten backwater on a seemingly hopeless continent. If any country in Africa was ever going to emerge as a model for sustainable development, Ghana was on the bottom of the list. Still in the grips of military dictatorship, it would be five years before Ghana would hold its first multiparty elec- tions and years longer still before a democratic culture – a prerequisite for sustainable develop- ment – was to emerge. Since 1992, however, Ghana’s progress has been remarkable. Buoyed by six consecutive free and fair multiparty elections as well as the recent discovery of oil, Ghana has become a shining example of economic success and good governance in a turbulent region. In a regional context, Ghana has also emerged as a model of sustainable development. Though efforts to mainstream this mode of development are very new, Ghana’s government, with the support and influence of civil society and development partners, has incorporated sustainable develop- ment into its national development plan, drafted landmark legislation on renewable energy and created or reinvigorated regulatory environmental institutions that are backed by strong leaders. Poverty has been cut in half since 1992, and various social safety net programs have been spearheaded by government since 2000. By laying the blueprint for social development, this new oil producer also seems to be avoiding the “mineral curse” afflicting neighboring countries, such as Nigeria. However, despite a strong policy framework, population pressure and Ghana’s drive to perform economically has brought about significant environmental damage. Ghana’s nat- ural resources, especially its forests and waterways, are severely threatened by logging, il- legal mining and overfishing. In the areas of sanitation and waste management, Ghana falls behind many of its neighbors. And many poor Ghanaians are waiting to feel the im- pact of economic growth. Still, Ghana has already achieved many successes, and its pro- 127 Case Studies gress toward sustainability is impressive, particularly when placed in a regional and his- torical context. A beacon of stability and growth in a turbulent region Ghana is a nation of about 25 million people located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. With an area of nearly 240,000 square kilometers, Ghana’s territory is roughly equal to that of the United Kingdom. A former British colony, the colonialists called the nation the “Gold Coast” for its vast gold reserves, first discovered in the 15th century. English is the official language of Ghana, though a total of 79 local languages are spoken throughout the country. In 1957, Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from its colonial power. However, hopes for prosperity were dashed following a military coup in 1966, which gave way to a long period of political repression and economic stagnation. Be- tween 1966 and 1981, Ghana weathered five political coups. However, after ruling by decree for 11 years, President Jerry John Rawlings held multiparty elections in 1992. Rawlings won, but a new constitution was drafted, and he stepped down in 2000 after two consecutive terms. Since the end of the Rawlings era, democratic and economic progress has been swift, and Ghana is now considered a beacon of democracy in West Africa. An active democratic culture has evolved, notably in the form of a strong and participatory civil society, a culture of lively public debate and a predominantly free media. Civil society groups now play a major role in influencing government to enact pro-poor and environmentally friendly legislation, which will be explored in further detail later in this report. 128 Ghana: Staying on Track in a Challenging Environment An overarching national commitment to peace has also developed, as evidenced in recent years. For example, Ghana maintained stability following a presidential election in 2008, when the now-ruling party won by less than 1 percent, and also when President John Atta Mills died unexpectedly in July 2012. Similar events have triggered chaos elsewhere in the region, inter- rupting development efforts on all fronts. Ghana has remained peaceful, creating an enabling environment for development, particularly on the economic front. Ghana’s $39 billion economy is the second-largest in West Africa, after Nigeria’s. The coun- try’s quick economic development in recent years has been driven by the oil sector, construc- tion, transport and information and communications technology, according to the World Bank. Oil was discovered off Ghana’s shores in 2007 under the administration of former Pres- ident John Kuffour, and production began in December 2010. The following year, Ghana reg- istered 14.4 percent economic growth, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. GDP per capita in 2011 was $1,570 (World