Sustainable development is still seen by authorities as an abstract concept. Local Environmental Auditing will help put it into practice. The book provides a comprehensive guide to monitoring the state of the local environment and establishing the impacts of local actions on global issues, and shows how current local authority policy and practice can be adapted to recognize environmental priorities. The authors provide both a guide to and an assessment of the subject: they link the processes with the issues, with specific information on carrying out the audit (including checklists, case studies and standards) and a detailed discussion of the issues and choices which local authorities may face. Clearly structured and accessible, this will be an essential handbook, both for local government departments and other local organizations, and students in a wide range of subjects, including environmental science and health, town planning, urban and rural studies, social science and politics.