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20% in the Red
The US National Academy of Sciences has confirmed what
most people knew already - that humanity has been living
beyond its means for a few decades. Resource consumption
is now at about 120% of its replenishment rate. As
recently as the 1960s we were 'in the black' at 70%. We're
now the wrong side of the so-called point zero of
sustainability.
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In the UK,
homes are responsible for nearly a third of the energy
delivered and a quarter of carbon emissions.
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'We are now
in a transitional phase of industrial history in which
companies are still inexperienced in handling
environmental issues creatively... The early movers - the
companies that can see the opportunity first and embrace
innovation-based solutions - will reap major competitive
benefits.'
Michael Porter and
van der Linde, 'Green and competitive', Harvard
Business Review, 1995.
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'It is often
said that sustainability rests on three equal pillars:
environmental, economic and social. However, designers
often ignore the social and cultural aspects. Ecodesign,
especially when practiced by engineering designers, is
taken as a technical problem.'
Professor Matthew
Simon and Andrew Dixon, Sheffield Hallam University,
Opportunities for Sustainability Messages in Product
Services Systems.
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A
Sustainable Future
for the South West
by South West Regional Assembly
click here
to read
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click here
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The Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution
Read the
Commission’s Summary of report on Environmental
Planning published on 21 March 2002.
Click Here to Read
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Impact of Climate
Change on Wildlife
by English Nature
click here to read
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State of The Countryside 2002
from the Countryside
Agency
click here |
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Sustainable
development:
what it is and
what you can do
by the Green Ministers
Committee
Click Here
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Better Public Buildings Report
‘100 years ago public
buildings were often the pride of Britain’s towns and
cities. Schools, railway stations, post offices and
libraries set high standards of building design that the
private sector tried to emulate. The best embodied a
strong sense of civic pride. We know that good design
provides a host of benefits. The best designed schools
encourage children to learn. The best designed hospitals
help patients to recover their spirits and their health.
Well designed parks and town centres help to bring
communities together.’
Tony Blair in the foreword to Better Public Buildings
October 2000
Guide to 'Better Public Buildings'
Click Here To Read
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A Sustainable
Future for the South West -
The Regional Sustainable
Development Framework
for the South West of England
Click Here to read
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'The Benefits of Daylight
Through Windows'
A study of the impact of daylight on human performance
and workplace productivity; human health: and financial
return on investment . These impacts of daylight are
reviewed for buildings that are used for work and for
which day lighting has been extensively studied, namely
offices, schools, hospitals, and retail stores. This
literature review examines the benefits and problems of
both daylight, as light, and windows, as the most common
used method to deliver daylight.
Click Here To Read The Report
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A simple way of
evaluating the environment is by reviewing the natural
beauty, heritage, wildlife, fauna and geology it has to
offer. As the South West is the largest and most rural
region in England what does it have to offer and is it a
rich and diverse environment?
click
here
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Sustainability is a word that doesn't mean much to a lot of
people, and to others it is a synonym for 'environment'.
But with more than 300 definitions of sustainability, it’s
little wonder there is some haziness over what exactly the
term means. So our 'What Is'
sets out to find simple answers to some of these simple
questions.
But getting more people to memorise a
definition is not the only communications challenge
sustainable development faces. Communicating sustainability
and sustainable development means engaging everyone in a
 radically
different
way of thinking and acting. Over time, it's likely that its
three major areas (social, economic and environmental) will
become more widely understood, and a unity of definitions will
emerge. Positively, there is a trend to define sustainability
in terms of improved quality of life for all, now and in
generations to come, which is likely to make it feel more real
and graspable to many people.
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What is Sustainability & Sustainable
Development?
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A general term for 'sustainable development' means
providing social and economic wellbeing for everyone,
locally and globally, now and in the future, without
compromising the long-term wellbeing of the environment. It
also means redressing current inequalities, whether between
rich and poor people, or rich and poor countries, and
repairing some of the damage already done to the environment.
The simplest definition is that of improving quality of life
across the board, including ensuring quality of life for
future generations.
World Commission on Environment and Development
has drawn up a widely used definition of sustainable
development: "development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs." For this to be achieved planning policy
makers, developers, and decision makers at national
and local levels must take full account of the long term
social, economic and environmental impacts of proposed
development.
Paul Hawkin's book, The Ecology of Commerce has
one comprehensive definition of sustainability:
"Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed
upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without
reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future
generations. It can also be expressed in the simple terms of
an economic golden rule for the restorative economy: leave the
world better than you found it, take no more than you need,
try not to harm life of the environment, make amends if you
do."
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What is the history of sustainable development?
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Here's a quick rundown of
sustainable development's background:
- In 1992, nearly 180 countries met at the
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro to discuss how to
achieve sustainable development. They agreed a plan of
action, "Agenda 21", and recommended that all
countries should produce national sustainable development
strategies.
- Agenda 21 suggested a strategy of "think
global, act local", recognising that sustainable development
is a process that occurs and is largely experienced at a
local rather than a national level. Some local authorities
have made a substantial commitment to Local Agenda 21.
- A follow-up summit was held in Kyoto in
1997 which agreed to global targets for a reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions, including a target for the UK to
cut emissions by 20% by 2010.
-
 In
September 2002 over 100 world leaders and thousands of
delegates gathered in Johannesburg to review progress since
the 1992 Earth Summit and to set an agenda for the next 10
years.
- A Better Quality of Life,
a strategy for sustainable development in the UK was
published in 1999. This recognised that sustainable
development has a social and economic dimension in addition
to protection of the environment and the prudent use of
natural resources.
- To monitor progress towards sustainable
development, the Government is proposing to track 15
headline indicators each year. Many of these are linked to
housing and community issues. Combined with targets, the
indicators can be used to measure progress towards
sustainable development.
In summary, the objectives of sustainable development now
underpin new national, regional and local government
legislation and are incorporated in many housing strategies.
Housing providers will have to develop policies and action
plans in response and it is our job as citizens to ensure that
local housing projects reflect this.
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What Does Sustainable Design Mean?
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Sustainable design needs a broad, open, flexible and long-term
mindset. It means bearing in mind the impact of a product
including origins and disposal - so-called life-cycle
thinking. It also means examining whether there is a different
way to deliver the same function through a service or a
product-service combination. That in turn can mean a new way
of doing business and new customer relationships. Service
design is currently much discussed as a potential source of
sustainable solutions. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of
sustainable design, bringing in people from
different functions is a good idea. No one department can deliver it on their
own, so aiming for a mixed team is always the best
approach. Sustainable design works best as an integral part of
a process rather than as an afterthought. If it can be
introduced at the beginning of any product (or service)
development discussion it can save a lot of backtracking and
grief later on. In time, the concept will become embedded in
people's everyday thinking, but this takes time and it needs
nurturing until the benefits become apparent and people are
comfortable with what it means.
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What are the benefits of sustainable development
and housing?
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Here are just a few benefits of sustainable housing
development
A more sustainable housing system:
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reduces
impacts on the environment;
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conserves
resources;
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offers
higher standards;
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makes a
significant contribution towards a sustainable economy.
For residents the benefits are:
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lower
bills for gas, electricity and water;
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greater
comfort and satisfaction;
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more
convenient houses and neighbourhoods;
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more
choice;
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healthier
living environments.
For landlords:
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less
dissatisfaction and lower management costs;
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lower
maintenance costs;
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it is
easier and cheaper to adapt and upgrade stock.
For developers:
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a more
favourable public perception aids marketing;
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it is
easier to attract funding in a competitive context;
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they demonstrate their sustainability
credentials to planning authorities, investors and others.
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What is the government doing?
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It has established the Sustainable Development
Commission, jointly with the Scottish Executive, the Welsh
Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Chaired by Jonathon Porritt, its role is to advocate
sustainable development across all sectors in the UK, review
progress towards it, and build consensus on the actions needed
if further progress is to be achieved. Its specific objectives
are to:
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review how far sustainable development is being achieved
in the UK in all relevant fields, and identify any
relevant processes or policies which may be undermining
this;
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identify important unsustainable trends which will not be
reversed on the basis of current or planned action, and
recommend action to reverse the trends;
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deepen understanding of the concept of sustainable
development, increase awareness of the issues it raises,
and build agreement on them; and
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encourage and stimulate good practice.
The government's policies will take account of
ten principles and approaches which reflect key sustainable
development themes. Some are established legal principles.
Others might better be described as 'approaches' to decision
making:
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putting people at the centre;
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taking a long term perspective;
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taking account of costs and benefits;
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creating an open and supportive economic system;
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combating poverty and social exclusion;
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respecting environmental limits;
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the precautionary principle;
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using scientific knowledge;
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transparency, information participation and access to
justice; and
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making the polluter pay.
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