Sustainable development and the governance of long-term decisions

This chapter outlines an analysis of policy-making about the long-term and affecting the long-term, in particular but not solely in the context of sustainable development, taking a broad "governance" perspective. It provides a framework for looking at different types of future-oriented decisions and the long-term effects of policy decisions (which may be oriented at short-term objectives), and discusses the role of knowledge in each of these cases. It argues that future-oriented knowledge production is scientifically valid and employs specific procedures, but is fundamentally about handling uncertainty. It then assesses how different national policy cultures address futures issues and makes a list of recommendations.(1)