自八○年代以來，「永續發展」（Sustainable Development）的理念已經成為國際社會上，制訂環境政策的最高指導典範。然而作為一個規範性的原則，要如何進一步地落實在法律及政策層面向，卻仍是爭論的焦點。民主是否為落實永續發展的途徑？技術官僚、科技專家與公民之間，如何取得對於處理環境危機的共識，至今仍是一個值得探討的議題。 本文試圖從「永續發展」的規範意義的理解中，來探究環境保護與民主政治的關係。一方面從永續發展的理念，導引出環境價值與民主程序或行動的相關性；另一方面則檢驗現有的代議民主形式，在處理環境問題上，呈現的局限性，並嘗試性提出審議式民主理論（Deliberative Democracy）的基本思維以及實踐經驗，作為未來進一步探索此議題的可能方向。

Environmental issues present a challenge to contemporary democracies. Democracies have to make decisions to distribute as well as to regulate environmental resources. These decisions are difficult to made since people have different attitudes on issues about what is environmental problems, what actions should be taken to resolve these problems. This articles argues that democracy is the only way to realize the ideal of sustainable development in environmental issues. Furthermore, this article tries to provide a better alternative, deliberative democracy, for resolving the contradictory causing by liberal democracy when facing environmental issues.

永續發展;自由民主;審議;正當性

sustainable development; liberal democracy; deliberation; legitimacy