INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT IMPLEMENTATION IN COUNTRIES OF NORTHERN EUROPE

Abstract

Abstract. Nowadays environmentally-friendly behavior is considered to be the only acceptable
individual, household and corporate behavior model in developed countries. Nevertheless,
green behavior should not be treated like a spontaneous phenomenon, but a result of substantial
efforts and successful implementation of pro-environmental campaigns, national and local
authorities’ green growth programs, joint developed countries and international institutions’
sustainability initiatives; involvement of TNCs, non-governmental organizations and research
institutes into the national sustainable development strategies creation and implementation
process.
Key sustainable development concept components are actively implemented in all European
countries today, but according to the Sustainable Development Index 2013 the most successful
SD policy has been recently pursued in such countries of Northern Europe as Denmark, Iceland,
Finland, Norway and Sweden. Leadership of these countries in the SD concept implementation
is partly determined by fundamental institutional support system. This article examines sustainable
development institutional support attributes and peculiarities, being half the battle in
sustainable development priorities’ materialization in countries of Northern Europe.
Key words: sustainable development, green growth, national strategy for sustainable development,
sustainable development institutional support, countries of Northern Europe.