Published: 21 March 2005
Promoting Sustainable Development
Launching a cross-government strategy in London, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the aim was to show how people can be involved in making more sustainable choices.
The new Strategy covers areas which are the responsibility of the UK government and sets out the Government's objectives for four key priority areas:
- sustainable consumption & production,
- climate change & energy,
- protecting natural resources and
- environmental enhancement & sustainable communities.
Mrs Beckett said:
"Sustainable development is vital to building a decent future for everyone.
The Government wants to ensure everyone has the opportunity to get involved - for local or global benefit."
The
headline points of the strategy are:
- A new task force under Sir Neville Simms on sustainable public procurement will draw up a national action plan to make the UK a leader in the EU by 2009.
The taskforce will look not just at the direct impacts of public sector procurement, but also how the £125bn annual public sector spend can be used to drive innovation and create markets for new more sustainable products.
- A new scheme to enable Government departments to offset the carbon impacts of their air travel by April 2006.
When there is no alternative to flying, Government will compensate for carbon dioxide released from our flights by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. (How will this impact on the Blair holiday trips and Cherie Blair speaking tours one wonders?)
- Community Action 2020 - Together We Can - will launch in the autumn.
It is intended to give local groups support, information and training to influence what goes on where they live. They will be given specific support to help influence local authorities' Sustainable Community Strategies and local development plans. (But they won't be able to object to mobile telephone masts, illegal travellers' encampments, airport expansions, or government directed expansion in housing stock).
- Local action will, we are informed, be backed up by:
- giving everyone access to "data-on-the-doorstep" - By 2010 the government promises that it will develop a new comprehensive set of web-based maps and statistics that will give complete information about the quality of everyone's local environment in England.
- consulting later this year on improved powers for environmental protection for the Environment Agency.
The Government is giving the independent
Sustainable Development Commission, chaired by Jonathon Porritt, a new role as the watchdog on the performance of government in delivering sustainable development.
It claims that this will help drive action to ensure delivery of their sustainable development goals.
The new UK Strategy was launched alongside a
new Framework for Sustainable Development across the UK, shared between the UK Government, the Devolved Administrations and the Northern Ireland Office.
Further information
Strategic Framework, One future - different paths
New strategy for sustainable development, Securing The Future
Sustainable Development Commission
To find a business you can trust, click on the related categories below: