The problem of sustainability is one of the most important and pressingproblems of
the modern state. Although the history of the so-calledgreen movement that is linked
to the emergence of industrial society inthe modern age, (to industrialism), in its
contemporary form it is existingalso a social movement, a political ideology – see,
among others, greenparties – and a state (international) obligation. What distinguishes
therecent green movements today from the earlier conservation movementis its emphasis
on science and research. The main aim of this study is toexamine how democratic –
above all, the participatory and deliberativedemocracies – political systems are dealing
with the new challenges ofsustainability and how they are fnding political solutions
to the demandsof civil society. In parallel, the interdependence between social activism,democratic
policy decision-making and international cooperation isworth considering, as coordination
between sub-state and supra-stateactors is needed to address sustainability.
