Book excerpt: This book builds on the insights of Günther Bachmann, former Secretary General for the German Sustainability Council, who spent almost 20 years advising the German government on sustainability policy. The book discusses his experiences in negotiating stakeholder statements at the highest national levels. Bachmann takes the reader behind the scenes of German sustainable policy and practice, whilst also comparing Germany with other national approaches. He tells the story of political events from his insider perspective, unfolding the narrative of sustainable development goals and how activists in their respective countries could and should relate to it. Furthermore, he suggests new lines of vision through the tangle of conference fatigue and buzzwords. The book argues that environmentalists often display entrenched attitudes that too often downplay success. The rhetoric of crisis and doom, if overstretched and reduced to alarm, paralyses action and innovation. Bachmann, who on the contrary argues positively and concretely, shows unusual but significant signs of hope and confidence in action and how these can be made effective in the politics of sustainable development. This book will be of global relevance to sustainability professionals and policy makers and will advise them on how to successfully move ahead with sustainability policies.