The influence of Mainstreaming ‘Sustainability’ into Policies in a Decentralised Multi-level Governance System - A case study of the Dutch municipality of Nieuwegein

Abstract

This thesis dives into the implications for municipalities on mainstreaming sustainability into policies. The thesis is a case study of the Dutch municipality of Nieuwegein. The study focusses on the multi-level governance framework and looks into new policy developments. The current state of academic literature is discussed, and a research gap is identified; the gap consists of municipal case studies in which the current situation is ineffective and inefficient. It's unrealistic to expect them to have all expertise in-house, which can lead to unprofessional decisions and result in ineffective and inefficient policies. The data was gathered by interviewing municipal employees, and the politically responsible person for sustainability. The data served as a basis to use frameworks by Wamsler et al (2020) and Fenton (2016). The data uncovered the reasons behind the difficulties that the municipalities faced, which had both internal and external reasons. Using municipal case studies of successful situations within mainstreaming sustainability and combining them with the difficulties identified within the data, the study will sketch possible, tailor-made solutions. These solutions are called the three C’s; Cooperation, Coordination, and Clarity. Lastly, the study will conclude with a general conclusion, and a discussion in which limitations are also stated.