"Welfare for the Future" is an example of strategic framework on a national level and is the perspective of the Icelandic Government on Sustainable Development in Iceland to the year 2020.
Source: Ministry for the Environment, Iceland

Agenda 21 encourages countries of the world to prepare a national sustainable development strategy. At the UN General Assembly Special Session in 1997, countries were encouraged to complete such strategies before the 10th anniversary of the Rio Conference in 2002. The Icelandic government has been working on such a strategy. The first comprehensive policy of Icelandic authorities on environmental affairs, 'Towards Sustainable Development', was prepared in 1993 and followed to a large extent the decisions made at the Rio Conference. Following this policy, an implementation plan was prepared bearing the title 'Sustainable Development in Icelandic Society', which was submitted to a special Environmental Assembly in 1996 and subsequently approved by the government. The strategy presented here is intended as a general framework for policies set by authorities in fields relating to sustainable development in the near future.

The strategy has been prepared by several government ministries, but the comments of municipalities, interest groups, non-governmental organizations and the public have also been sought. The strategy has been formed for a period well into the future, or until 2020, which means that it is intended to be a dynamic document, responding to changes in circumstances and emphases.

The main purpose of the strategy is to: 1) set long-term goals, 2) set priorities for the near future and 3) define and develop criteria to measure progress. The strategy is not an implementation plan, but it can help authorities and others to prioritize projects and gauge the success of trying to promote environmental protection and the quality of life.