The coalition Government is continuing to commit to sustainable development, so needs to take action in order to stimulate economic growth, maximise wellbeing and protect our environment, without negatively affecting future generations. Recognising that our long term economic growth relies on protecting and enhancing the environmental resources that underpin it, the Government wants to mainstream sustainable development so that it is central to the way policies are made, buildings are run, and goods and services are purchased [1].
How do they plan to do this?
It has been acknowledged that it is now the time to stop considering sustainable development as a separate “green” issue which is a priority for only a few Government departments and considerate it as a core strategic issue instead. As a result, the Government will support this through:
- Ministerial leadership and oversight
- The Environment Secretary will now sit on all of the key domestic policy Cabinet committees in order to enforce sustainable development across all policy making.
- Leading by example
- By reducing the Government’s waste generation, water use and greenhouse gas emissions. They will cut waste by up to 25% (around 74,000 tonnes) by the end of this Parliament and become more water efficient.
- More sustainable and efficient products will be bought, and suppliers will be engaged with to understand and reduce the impacts of supply chains.
- Embedding sustainable development in Government policy
- Defra [2] will take responsibility for reviewing sustainable development principles within departmental business plans.
- Transparency and independent scrutiny
- Measurable indicators for sustainability will be developed so monitoring and public reporting is more efficient.
- Independent monitoring by the Environmental Audit Committee for independent scrutiny.
- Frequent and up-to-date publishing of information and statistics publicly to replace annual reports.
How will this help the economy?
The Government considers there to be many opportunities for UK businesses in moving to a green economy. There have been a number of announcements and policy decisions that will aid the transition to a green economy, such as the Green Deal, a carbon price floor by 2013, greater support for export of clean technologies and the review of waste policies.
How will this tackle climate change?
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has outlined a plan for a long term transition to a secure, affordable, low carbon society on the way to cutting 80% of greenhouse gases by 2050. In order to do this, the approach must be one that supports fairness and economic growth, such as:
- The Green Deal – this aims to save energy, create jobs and support vulnerable consumers.
- The Department for Transport will support the early market for electric and other low-emissions vehicles.
- The Department for Communities and Local Government will ensure that the planning system building regulations, the building control system and Energy Performance Certificate regimes support ambitions for a low-carbon and eco-friendly economy.
Overall the Government hopes that, in implementing these strategies, the economy will grow sustainably without impacting future generations negatively. They hope that by becoming transparent and “leading by example”, businesses will follow suit and the goal of a low-carbon society in the UK can be reached.
[1] http://sd.defra.gov.uk/documents/mainstreaming-sustainable-development.pdf
