David Krohn

Promoting sustainable development

The shared principles of Sustainable development are:

• living within environmental limits
• Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society
• Achieving a sustainable economy
• Using sound science responsibly
• Promoting good governance

There are several ways in which central government can encourage and help the community sector to work towards sustainable development:

1. Establishing partnerships for common ends:

Government and the community sector share many objectives and it is important to build upon these common aims to develop a strategy and effective movements towards a sustainable future. Trough our shared challenges we can develop community capital and mutual investment that promotes sustainable development.

2. Targeted behaviour change in excluded communities:

It is often the poor and disadvantaged that bear the brunt of environmental problems yet it is those same groups that are neglected by the government in educational and regeneration schemes as they are perceived to contribute less to damaging activities. Government must target this under utilised and regulated group to improve conditions.

3. Greater emphasis on the power of the collective:

Government needs to shift its emphasis from the individual to the collective as civil organisations play a major role in shaping attitudes and actions while reinforcing domestic empowerment. It would also help alleviate dissent and conflict to have collective buy-in.

4. More support to initiatives and community regeneration:

Increased realisation that community organisations posses extensive networks that engage large numbers of people would help spread the message of sustainablty. Furthermore, the sector supports worthwhile projects that would only benefit from government support.

References:

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ‘Uk govt sustainable development – what is it, and how can I do it?’ available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/what/principles.htm(accessed Feb 2009)

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ‘Definition and Components of Sustainable communities’ available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/publications/pdf/strategy/AnnexA.pdf(accessed Feb 2009)

B Hughes ‘Toward a Defra Third Sector Strategy – Consultation Document’ available at http://www.bassac.org.uk/system/files/dms/documents/8/Defra_Third_Sector_Strategy_bassac_response_Feb_2008.doc(accessed Feb 2009)

Tags: government's role in sustaianble development, sustainable development