119. The following environmental coalitions were identified by experts as playing key roles in environmental protection in the CEE countries :
The above-mentioned groups are not mutually exclusive. People can play concurrent roles in more than one of these sectors. However, dominant interests tend to lead individuals to support one sector to a greater degree than the others.
120. A politician's or civil servant's perspective regarding environmental problems is strongly affected by his or her own role and function. Devising policies, implementing projects and enforcing the law is the role of the environmental administration. Within this body a formal and sometimes bureaucratic approach to emerging problems is typical. In contrast, re-election concerns may make politicians overact in pushing towards visible and quick results in environmental protection, while other issues such as economic priorities may push environmental problems off their agendas.
121. The common interest of business and trade union coalitions is to maintain employment opportunities and to improve work-place environments, rather than to protect the external natural environment. Jobs may be created by more efficient use and stricter protection of existing natural resources. The implementation of environmentally-oriented public works is a promising tool for the reduction of unemployment, but remains an under-utilized option to this time. In addition, businesses are increasingly sensitive to their public image and are beginning to want to appear environmentally friendly to their customers.
122. NGOs, scientists and the media are emotionally and intellectually involved in protecting the natural environment. Their environmental coalition advocates the rights of future human generations and wildlife, stresses the physical limits of the natural environment and disseminates environmental information to the general public. This coalition is also interested in counterbalancing the negative impacts of the other coalitions' activities.
123. The interest of consumers is to maintain access to healthy food and to secure environmental quality in their living areas. They are not as well organized as other coalitions, but consist of a large number of people. If this group was to organize and mobilize its resources it could be a major force impacting the environment.
124. The coalitions of environmental interest groups described above are not equally strong or developed in the CEE countries. There is also a trend for these groups to polarize and dispute conflicting issues. For meaningful progress to occur in environmental improvements it is important to encourage a willingness to cooperate among the different environmental coalitions.
126. A falling of environmental priorities on government agendas has diminished politicians' interest in engaging in environmental debates. The governments of the CEE countries are generally passive in addressing environmental problems. More detailed and practical environmental programs, as well as greater public demand are needed to make the governments work more effectively.
127. Improved business practices with respect to the environment are also not likely in the near future, due to the lack of clearly demonstrated links between environmental performance and profit. Environmental protection is still not recognized as a prospective market, or as an economic sector which may contribute to the creation of a new market. "Green" action by trade unions is only weakly motivated.
128. NGO movements have progressed tremendously during the past five years. There are many independent environmental groups in the CEE region (about 1800), some of which are well organized and trained. NGOs in the CEE countries have not realized their full potential due to funding constraints, poor cooperation, and the lack of certain skills and strategic planning. They do, however, possess the necessary motivation to perform better and to increase their influence on their respective countries' environmental protection activities.
129. A more visible role for consumers in pushing environmental protection forward is also needed and expected. Awareness raising campaigns have helped in stimulating environmental concern amongst consumers. Health and environmental safety issues can be strong forces for pushing consumers toward environmental protection actions.
131. Environmental coalitions can be effective vehicles for articulating the interests of its members. A coalition is willing to lobby or fight for particular environmental goals. There is a need to develop strong effective environmental lobbies in the CEE countries which have the capacity to stimulate environmental improvements.
133. The value-based lobby, in its orthodox form, is sometimes unlikely to work towards integration of the environment and the economy. Within this ideology, the value of untouched nature is placed higher than the benefit obtained from its economic use. Traditional agriculture is proposed as a sustainable way of living in close contact with nature. However, some value-driven interest groups also embrace more moderate approaches that allow for the coexistence of nature and industrial production, provided that damages are not permanent and held to a minimum.
134. Value-driven environmental coalitions are most often represented by environmental NGOs, scientists, and the media. Such a coalition having well developed skills and expertise has an important role to play in influencing the selection of the country's future development strategy. Two vital elements of this role are environmental education and awareness raising. Short-sighted economic policies may also be counterbalanced by value-based environmental arguments and practices.
136. Civil servants and politicians create a modest core of the "green" image-driven environmental coalition. Businesses are still only a promising future member of this group in the CEE countries. However, there is already evidence of a growing business interest in being labeled as "green" by NGOs or media.
138. The environment is perceived as a component of welfare and well-being. When a secure and healthy living environment is threatened, it can easily mobilize local residents. People who live in industrial zones are often ready to compromise their income to have environmental safety improved. The argument for safe and healthy places for children to play is often used during discussions about environmental hot spots in the CEE countries.
139. Consumers and trade union members, as a welfare-driven pressure group, sometimes act in favor of environmental protection. The development of this coalition has been slow and difficult because of many conflicting goals (e.g., cheap products and more working places). The usual objective is to keep the environmental protection standard above a certain level while fighting for other goals. Trade unions are also sensitive about the indoor environment of working places. Although nature protection is not a goal of many CEE trade unions, environmental arguments sometimes appear on lists of demands to governments or businesses. The strength of the welfare-driven lobby is in its potential number of supporters. This environmental coalition is just now beginning to form in the CEE countries.
141. Environmental lobbies have many common goals. One of them is to support the integration of environmental protection and economic development. The various interest groups should formulate different alternatives for successfully accomplishing this integration. Instead of stressing discrepancies in formulating environmental conditions for economic development, compromises should be sought which satisfy diverse interests. Achieving sustainable development in the CEE countries will heavily depend on solving this problem of cooperation among different environmental lobbies.