PrintNEWS |
Sustainable Development
There are several definitions of sustainable development and not one is universally accepted as the definitive version. The best known is arguably one of the first. The 1987 Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development Our Common Future (more commonly known as the "Brundtland Report", named after Harlem Brundtland, the Chair of the Commission) defines it as:
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."(Ref 1)
If we move forward to the UK Government's 2005 report, "Securing the Future", the definition is as follows:
"Enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basis needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations." (Ref 2)
Although almost 20 years separate these, the definition has remained fairly stable and both of the above convey the key message that when today is considered, we must consider the impact on tomorrow. We should also not forget that this works the other way too (although arguably not as problematic to implement), as sustainable development is about balancing the needs of now, not disregarding them, with the future.
The debate further develops when the three factors of sustainability are considered: Economics, the Environment and Society, and the balance between now and the future (ie. How should we define the needs of future generations?). Ultimately, we can get very bogged down in the detail of this, which leads to inactivity and yet more debate. The Brundtland definition has stood up the past 20 years because it still rings true. Each definition is usually accompanied by a set of underlying principles; as the "Securing the Future" document is. This document is underpinned by five principles and for a policy to be sustainable, according to Securing the Future, it must respect all five of these.
Public Service Organisations need to start using the powers they have to implement this agenda; be it a mandatory requirement or not (and it could very well become mandatory in the near future). The Local Government Act 2000 provided Local Authorities with the "Power to Promote Well Being", but a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) follow up report concluded that the "understanding of the Well Being Power is patchy at best" and that "take up and implementation of the Well Being Power has varied considerably.". (Ref3) This highlights the fact that local authorities already have the powers to successfully implement this agenda. The recently launched Financing Local Futures states that:
"Local government has the potential to significantly contribute to sustainable development; through the sustainable use of its resources it can simultaneously support local economies, strengthen local communities and reduce their impact on climate change and the environment as a whole." (Ref4)
The time is now for local authorities to assess the powers at their disposable and define their community leadership with sustainable development at the forefront. There are many good examples out there already in the public sector (Ref5), but these need to become the accepted rather than the exception.
Ref 1: World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987, p.43.
Ref 2: Securing the Future, page 6.
Ref 3: Quotes taken from the DCLG report: "Formative Evaluation of the Take-Up and Implementation of the Well Being Power - Annual Report 2006" www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1501800
Ref 4: See www.sd-commission.org.uk/flf/flf_scene.html
Ref 5: An excellent collection of public sector initiatives are collated on the SDC site; we recommend you visit this and read how your colleagues are embedding sustainability: www.sd-commission.org.uk/communitiessummit/case_studies.php