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What is Sustainable Development?
What is Sustainable Development?
Sustainable development is an increasingly common term which seems to mean a lot of things to different people however, in reality it has a very simple meaning. A widely used definition of sustainable development is:
'the idea of ensuring a better quality of life for everyone,
now and for generations to come.'
The need for development is as great as ever, but future developments cannot simply follow the model of the past. This is true for the world as a whole, and for every community in this country and we have to find a new way forward. This is the challenge of sustainable development.
The Government believes that four objectives need to be met at the same time in order to achieve sustainable development:
- social progress which recognises the needs of everyone;
- effective protection of the environment;
- prudent use of natural resources; and
- maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.
If we can do all four of these things at the same time, then we can improve our quality of life in a way that is better for us, our world and our future. Visit the Government's website for more information on the Government's approach to sustainable development.
The aims of Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development aims to:
Achieve a better quality of life for all. It achieves social and economic progress, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment
Shape our own future in ways which ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come
Look at the quality of people's lives and the condition of our communities that are affected by a combination of economic, social and environmental factors
Ensure that appropriate consideration is given to global problems to secure lasting solutions to these factors
Improve the efficiency of how we use resources and improve economic activities to create a healthy living environment
For the future, we need ways to achieve economic, social and environmental objectives at the same time and consider the longer term implications. Sustainable development is a goal that we should all aiming to achieve. In order to do this we must meet our needs in a way that:
protects the environment;
involves everyone in the decisions about our future;
ensures fairness and equality;
takes into account the needs of future generations - the community of tomorrow.
The need for Sustainable Development
Why doing nothing is not an option:
Current economic activities tend to mean more pollution and wasteful use of resources. A damaged environment impairs quality of life and may threaten long term economic growth
By not integrating the environmental agenda into decisions about social or economic development, the result will be increased global pressures including global warming, deforestation and ozone depletion
The negative factors of the global and environmental pressures will result in congestion, water pollution and green belt destruction. These will actually reduce our quality of life in the next century
One of the major results of ignoring the environmental impact of economic progress is the increasing inequality in terms of health between rich and poor
For many people in the world, not improving their quality of life means that people may not have access to their basic needs. These include access to food, water, health care, shelter, education, political freedom, guaranteed human rights, and freedom from violence
If we do not encourage communities to be more sustainable, our children and generations to come will inherit a society which is not worth living in.
The Way Forward - Local Agenda 21
In 1992 following concern about these global pressures, the United Nations organised a Summit on Environment and Development, in Rio de Janeiro
At this
Rio World Earth Summit, 173 Heads of State, including the UK Prime Minister, signed an action plan for the 21st Century called AGENDA 21
It identifies roles and actions for all sectors of society, including Government, businesses schools, women, ethnic groups, and of course local authorities
Agenda 21 recognises that national governments cannot achieve results alone and great emphasis is placed on the key role of local people and local authorities to bring about the ambitious changes needed
Every local authority in Britain was asked to develop a plan for its own area, to improve the quality of life by tackling issues such as pollution, waste, transport, energy, nature conservation, health and poverty
In response to this challenge, Sevenoaks District Council adopted and implemented its first
Local Agenda 21 Strategy & Year 1 Action Plan in March 1999, which marked an important step in the beginning of a long-term programme to initiate change
In October 2000, during Year 2 of the
Local Agenda 21 Action Plan, the
LA 21 Conference was held to bring together people from different backgrounds and professional expertise to discuss and explore the opportunities for future partnership working in sustainable development
For more information contact:
Simon Davies
Partnership & Projects Coordinator
Call 01732 227374
e-mail sus.dev@sevenoaks.gov.uk
07 October 2008
