Symbolic commitment is commonly acknowledged in the literature to be important for sustainability governance. Academics express high hopes and expectations of symbolic commitment as a means to strengthen sustainability institutions. Policy makers and bureaucrats see it as being necessary in order to keep an issue on the agenda. However, little is known about how symbolic commitment contributes to institutional resilience. This study examines the rise and fall of national institutions for implementing sustainability agendas in Germany, Finland, and the UK in the context of fluctuating symbolic commitment. Interviews with 56 policy actors and documentary analysis uncovered the creative role of bureaucrats in securing symbolic commitment. The risks of relying on symbolic commitment can be reduced by considering the impact of economic austerity and the loss of institutional memory.

中文翻译：

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象征性承诺如何增强可持续性机构的复原力？探索德国、芬兰和英国的官僚角色

象征性承诺在文献中被普遍认为对可持续性治理很重要。学者们对象征性承诺作为加强可持续发展机构的一种手段寄予厚望和期望。政策制定者和官僚认为有必要将问题保留在议程上。然而，人们对象征性承诺如何促进制度复原力知之甚少。本研究考察了在波动的象征性承诺的背景下，德国、芬兰和英国实施可持续发展议程的国家机构的兴衰。对 56 位政策参与者的采访和文献分析揭示了官僚在确保象征性承诺方面的创造性作用。