One of the major challenges to overcome unsustainable development patterns is the need to activate a sense of common purpose among all sectors of society. The chances of forging such a sense of purpose will depend on the willingness of all sectors to participate in genuine partnership and dialogue, while recognizing the independent roles, responsibilities and special capacities of each sector. The functions of civil society to nurture values, norms, and codes of conduct are the basis for developing such a sense of common purpose. Issues that are close to the quality of individual life, such as unsustainable patterns of consumption, will require changes in those respects within civil society.
Civil society lies at the heart of sustainable development. At the local level, groups and organizations have been formed by local people to solve local problems through self-reliant action. Through these civil society channels, people are seeking ways to gain information, training, technology, finance, and access to markets in order to increase their incomes and improve their circumstances. Civil society movements have built up impressive records of achievement worldwide - from field activities (such as tree planting) to lobbying to the inputs to decision-making.