The Economics for Lasting Progress project of the Minnesota Sustainable Development Initiative examined the economic signals sent by selected state policies. The report of this project, Smart Signals: Economics for Lasting Progress asks Minnesotans to question basic assumptions about the relationships between the environment, economy and communities. It identifies issues concerning the economic implications of state policies and ways to improve them for a healthier Minnesota.

The Pathways Project identified and explored barriers to sustainable development in the areas of energy, manufacturing and settlement. This report provides highlights from a dozen Pathways reports, including descriptive briefing papers, reports that explore a specific policy issue and studies conducted by consultants for the Pathways Project. Each report offers policy-makers options to improve existing policies for Minnesota's economy, environment and communities today and in the future.

Funding for the Pathways Project was provided by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.

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This report of the Sustainable Economic Development and Environmental Protection Task Force recommends ways to foster livable communities that taxpayers can afford and the environment sustain. The task force is part of the Minnesota Sustainable Development Initiative, coordinated by the Environmental Quality Board. The recommendations include:

Challenges for a Sustainable Minnesota draft report discusses how best to pursue sustainable development in Minnesota. The document offers a vision, new decision-making principles and six strategies for achieving sustainable development:

Align Minnesota's economic incentives and goals

Understand what is environmentally sustainable

Integrate natural resources management

Advance sustainable land use and community development policies

Ask government to take the first steps

Focus research on sustainable development issues

In 1996, the Minnesota Legislature directed all agencies, departments and boards to report on how their respective missions and programs “reflect and implement the state sustainable development principles” or how they could be changed to do so. This report summarizes the results, compiled and analyzed by Minnesota Planning staff for the Environmental Quality Board.