‘A real ecological democracy, thinking way ahead and involving all citizens, is just not happening.’
Tim O’Riordan, SDC Commissioner and Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia
Where Next for Government?
As these pages have shown, there is much good work on sustainable policy and practice underway around the UK. Yet the play safe, piecemeal approach so far favoured by government has left the country far adrift of meeting its national and international responsibilities to consume resources within sustainable limits. And there is a worrying lack of urgency among Ministers about tackling one of the central challenges of our times.
The next 12 to 18 months will be a critical time for setting the UK on a path to truly sustainable development. On 21 April 2004, UK, Scottish and Welsh Ministers launched Taking It On: Developing UK Sustainable Development Strategy Together, a three month nationwide consultation
on a new national Sustainable Development Strategy. This revised strategy, to be published in 2005, will provide the proof of how serious the Government is about its commitment to embed sustainable development at the heart of all its
policymaking and programmes.
The omens are better than some might imagine. In launching the
consultation process, Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said the following: ‘We as government, and we as society, have much more to do. The Sustainable Development Commission [has] challenged us to ‘try harder’. That is a challenge we are determined to rise to collectively.’ In Shows Promise. But Must Try Harder, the SDC not only
urged the government to respond to the 20 Challenges reproduced throughout this publication. We also urged the adoption of the following key policy priorities for the revised UK Sustainable Development Strategy:
• redefining economic progress to avoid the very obvious social and environmental penalties of the current economic growth model
• an accelerated programme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the threat of climate change at home and abroad
• promotion of innovation and market transformation to support more sustainable production and encourage much more sustainable
consumption patterns
• vigorous efforts to promote healthier environments and lifestyles at both national and local level
• stronger focus on area renewal and regeneration, sustainable communities and sustainable housing
• much stronger focus on more sustainable natural resource
management, including more sustainable transport, waste minimisation and waste management policies
• greater effort to manage overseas policies on trade, aid and investment to encourage sustainable development in developing
countries and reduce the adverse impact of our activities on prospects for sustainability elsewhere.
We hope the Government will embrace these priorities with urgency and look forward to working with Whitehall and with the Devolved
Administrations on
their practical implementation.
Where Next?
Snapshots of the Sustainable Development Commission’s Work Plan
Our priorities and activities in 2004-5 will include:
• Working closely with Defra and other departments to shape the new Sustainable Development Strategy, in the light of the consultation process that ended in July 2004
• Working on key policy issues like housing, aviation and the modernisation of public services
• Helping Defra and DTI to review the Climate Change Programme, to ensure that measures are in place to meet the goal of a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010
• Continuing to work with the Department of Health and the NHS to ensure that health services become more sustainable
• Developing action on sustainable consumption through the Roundtable • Working with DfES to implement their Sustainable Development
Action Plan
• Developing our relationship with the Devolved Administrations, in order to contribute more effectively to policy development in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Launching our first annual conference
• Recruiting 10,000 subscribers to our e-bulletin
• Doubling usage of our website and IT communications.
Where Next:
Your News and Views
As we said in our Introduction, sustainable development presents a challenge and an opportunity not just for government, business and NGOs, but for every UK citizen. We welcome feedback on this report from anyone and everyone interested in sustainable development policy and practice. Comments may be
sent to [email protected]. Sustainable development communicators are also invited to join our learning network, Combust. Contact [email protected].
Countdown to Sustainable Development
1992
Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro
World governments, including the UK, adopt Agenda 21, a wide-ranging programme of national and local action towards sustainability.
1994
UK Strategy for Sustainable Development published
Provided a policy framework for initial steps towards sustainable development. 1999
A Better Quality of Life published
Updated UK strategy; integrated the economic, social and environmental
dimensions of sustainable development; set out headline indicators and measures of progress.
2002
World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair plays a leading role; world leaders prioritise action on drinking water, sanitation, protecting natural resources and consumption. 2004
Government launches review of UK Sustainable Development Strategy Sustainable Development Commission publishes critique of progress against A Better Quality of Life.
2005
Members of the Sustainable Development Commission
Jonathon Porritt (Chairman) Director of Forum for the Future Rod Aspinwall (Vice Chairman, Wales)
Deputy Chairman of the Enviros Group and Professor of Environmental Management at Cardiff University
Bernard Bulkin
Board Member of the UK Centre for Environment and Economic Development; Fellow of New Hall, Cambridge
Councillor Maureen Child (Vice Chairman, Scotland)
Lead Member for Finance and Sustainability, Edinburgh City Council
Rita Clifton
Chairman of Interbrand Lindsey Colbourne Coordinator of InterAct Anna Coote
Director of the Public Health Programme at the King’s Fund Val Ellis
Member of the Trade Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee Councillor Nicky Gavron
The Mayor’s Adviser on Planning and Spatial Development (on one year leave of absence)
Brian Hanna
President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Tim Jackson
Professor of Sustainable Development, Centre for Environmental Strategy at the University of Surrey
Alan Knight
Head of Social Responsibility, Kingfisher Walter Menzies
Tim O’Riordan
Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia and Associate Director of the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment Derek Osborn
Chairman of Stakeholder Forum for our Common Future Anne Power
Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Deputy Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion
Hugh Raven
Consultant to the Soil Association as Scottish Policy Adviser and Aquaculture Adviser
Richard Wakeford
Chief Executive of the Countryside Agency Rebecca Willis
(Vice Chairman, Whitehall) Associate Director of Green Alliance Jess Worth
Campaigner with People and Planet Raymond Young
Board member of Forward Scotland, a member of the Scottish Welfare to Work Advisory Task Force and Chair of the Environment Task Force in Scotland
Sustainable Development Commission, Ground Floor, Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AL
Telephone: 020 7238 4999 Email: [email protected] www.sd-commission.org.uk