The Art of embedding sustainability

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The Art of embedding sustainability

• Leslie Watson, Director

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• DEFRA mandate for SSW to
• Support LAs to embed sustainability into
  Sustainable Community Strategies, Local Area
  Agreements and more widely through LSPs

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Good practice tip No. 1

• Adopt a clear, and credible
• definition of a
• Sustainable Community

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A sustainable community is healthy, socially
just, productive, resilient and living within
environmental limits

• Typical ingredients of sustainable communities
• A low carbon, resource efficient approach to
  service delivery
• A, low carbon economy which meets local job
  needs 
• Sustainably constructed/regenerated affordable
  housing 
• Locally-generated micro renewables/Combined Heat
  Power
• Local sourcing of goods and services 
• A preventative approach to health, well-being
  and social care
• Green space networks for well-being,
  biodiversity  food

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Good practice tip No. 2

• Do some sustainability matchmaking between
• the local agenda and regional and national SD
  agendas

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National Context The five national sustainable
development principles priorities Securing the
Future The UK Governments Sustainable
Development Strategy (March 2005)
Ensuring a Strong, Healthy and Just Society

• Sustainable consumption production
• Climate Change and Energy
• Natural Resources Protection
• Environmental Enhancement
• Sustainable Communities

Living Within Environmental Limits
Achieving a Sustainable Economy
Promoting Good Governance
Using Sound Science Responsibly
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Updated Regional Sustainable Development
Framework (RSDF) the Sustainability Shaper
MISSION STATEMENT People in the South West of
England choose to live, work and prosper within
environmental limits, pursuing justice and
well-being and valuing diversity
distinctiveness
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LGA Climate Change Commission

• Climate change must be at the heart of every
  local areas ambitions
• Climate change needs to be an urgent priority for
  all council leaders and senior executives
• Tackling climate change should be mainstreamed
  across councils roles, operations and activities

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South West Sustainability challenges

• Manage a growing and ageing population in the
  most sustainable way
• Provide more affordable, sustainably sited and
  constructed housing
• Reduce the need to travel/distances travelled
  (and associated CO2 ) to
• access goods and services by residents and
  visitors
• Sustainably manage our natural and cultural
  resources whilst adapting to climate change

Investment in sustainability leadership,
learning, skills and innovation
Paramount for delivery
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Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) Sustainability
principles

• Stabilise and reduce the regions eco-footprint
  
• Reduce greenhouse gases eg via carbon neutral
  developments
• Protect enhance natural resources eg via
  developments that
• respect landscapes and ecological thresholds
• Promote developments that support sustainable
  communities eg. by
• Making affordable housing available for all
  residents
• Providing networks of accessible quality green
  spaces

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Regional Economic Strategy (RES)
The RESs statement of intent
South West England will demonstrate that
economic growth can be secured within
environmental limits to bring prosperity to the
region.
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Good practice tip No. 3

• Comprehensively measure up against
• sustainability principles

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• Sustainability Community Strategies

Securing the Future says the Governments aim is
to Create sustainable communities that embody
the principles of sustainable development at a
local level
The challenge is to turn Community Strategies
into Sustainable Community Strategies which
develop a stronger focus on integrating social,
economic and environmental issues and in tackling
the areas longer-term and global impacts. A
shared Agenda, a share of the action, DEFRA 2006
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• Sustainability Local Area Agreements

• The DEFRA ask
• Climate Change to feature in all LAAs
• Assessed for sustainability

The primary objective of an LAA is to deliver
genuinely sustainable communities LAAs have
great potential to help tackle some of the key
long-term challenges which must be addressed if
we are to realise genuinely sustainable
communities

DCLG/ODPM
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Good practice tip No. 4

• Integration,
• Integration,
• Integration...

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REDUCE HIGH CARBON TRAVEL Use, promote and plan
for low carbon access/travel eg walking
cycling, home-working, mobile services,
ICT/video-conferencing, online facilities, local
multi-service centres, demand-responsive public
transport and alternative fuels
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Good practice tip No. 5

• Nurture
• resilient localism

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The Sustainable Communities Act

• Strengthening the role
• of communities to promote
• genuine sustainability?

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HELP EVERYONE TO JOIN IN PUBLIC DECISION-MAKING
Support wider, more informed participation in
public and community decision-making to foster
citizenship and involve people in the solutions
to local and global challenges 
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Good practice tip No. 6

• Lead by example!

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• Sustainability Local Strategic Partnerships
• Securing the Future says
• Local authorities and their partners, through
  LSPs, are pivotal to delivering sustainable
  communities. Making the vision of sustainable
  communities a reality at the local level means
  supporting strong local leadership and developing
  the right skills and knowledge

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Cornwalls NHS Food Project

• 5 NHS trusts procure food locally
• Introduced local fish, milk, cheese, eggs etc.
• Cornish Food Production Unit to provide an
  in-county facility
• Benefits
• More resilient local economy and communities
• Reduced food miles / C02 emissions
• Improved health and well-being
• Stronger sense of place

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Good practice tip No. 7

• Support people to learn and take some risks
• remember, no one has the full sustainability
  answer book!

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Good practice tip No. 8

• Celebrate sustainability benefits with your
  community

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ENHANCE LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS  DIVERSITY
INCLUDING BIODIVERSITY  Protect and enhance our
natural environment  biodiversity and culture 
heritage and celebrate diversity and
distinctiveness