In 1999, the OECD Council of Ministers asked the Paris headquarters to hammer out corner stones of a sustainability strategy for the OECD and its member countries, including policy mesures and monitoring mechanisms. A number of hearings followed, providing high quality input, and a conference in Rome in December 1999.

Nonetheless the 2000 Progress Report to the ministers was focussing on a quite narrow-minded economistic view, giving reason to worry about the final outcome. One of the key demands from the ministers was to strengthen the social dimension of sustainable development to give it equal weight as compared to economic and environmental concerns.

Given the irresponsible policy of the US government, no breakthrough towards a convincing environmental policy was to be expected. Against this background, the compromises found may be considered positive, at least no backlash.
However, the whole chapter on climate policy had to be put in square brackets, i.e. it is up for new negotiations on May 14th.
The draft version of the climate chapter does not claim to end all efforts, but leaves out the critical issues of commitments, volumes and time tables.
International environmental NGOs have heavily citicised the suggestions, based on profound knowledge. Their position can be downloaded here as well.

SERI has now been contracted along with the Wuppertal Institute to advise the German Ministery for Labour and Social Affairs on this matter.