Evaluation of national development plans and outstanding documents in environmental justice with an emphasis on green technology, case study: Tehran metropolis

Introduction
Environmental issues in the field of institutional management from the global to the local level, have
always been a complex problem for planners and decision-makers. This fact has faced major challenges
in cities and especially in metropolitan areas because of the concentration of economic and demographic
activities, a kind of planning system and mechanism. Therefore, every management system has sought
to solve these problems from the planning level to the implementation. The reflection of these plans
and the determination of environmental problem-solving strategies has mirrored in the plan and
program, and this research also seeks to evaluate developing plans and programs. Investigation of
environmental policy making in urban development plans and documents indicates its importance but
unfortunately, implementation of environmental agent programs has not been considered by decisionmakers
in their programs but also, ignoring the laws and regulations in urban development plans and
economic plans in the context of the city has created enormous environmental problems for Tehran
metropolis. Therefore, one of the solutions to tackle these challenges is to address environmental justice
discussions, with emphasize on, green technology. The present study is a documentary research with
an interpretive approach. It seeks to embody the concepts of environmental justice in the urban
development documents. The present study aimed to see whether environmental justice policy-making
has emphasized green technology in national development programs. Whether outreach documents in
Tehran metropolis, identify the barriers and challenges of comprehensive policy-making in achieving
urban environmental justice with an emphasis on green technology. Also recognizing the most
important factors which can contribute to the achievement of environmental justice in the city by
focusing on green technology is a study goal.
Materials and Methods
The method of data gathering is library information and analysis based on expert's opinion. The results
show that attention to environmental justice has been placed in the center of plans from the fourth
development plan onwards. But in practice it has been neglected.
Results and Discussion
Environmental issues due to their role in human life have always attracted the attention of planners and
the whole system of management.
The present study aimed to evaluate the state of environmental justice by focusing on green technology
by considering five-year economic, social, and cultural development plans. In fact, the programs leading
to prevention of environmental justice in the metropolis of Tehran were evaluated in the present study.
It is different from other studies by focusing on environmental justice with respect to green technology
for evaluating development plans. Based on the results, lack of involvement of environmental sectors
in implementing the programs, lack of financing, and lack of appropriate environmental infrastructure
based on development plans were considered problems which prevented Tehran from achieving
environmental programs and environmental justice.
Conclusion
In urban documents the environmental justice outline has been presented, but in implementation it had
been ignored. According to experts, the most important obstacle to environmental justice policy making
is conflict of interests and lack of attention to the development of green space and appropriate facilities
and technology that have focus on environmental justice policy. In addition, the most important
components for achieving environmental justice in Tehran metropolis include economic components
such as: car investment and ownership, informed social participation and decision-making, and
renewable environmental resources and attention to green technology.