Sustainability: National Picture and LB Bromley’s Perspective

1. Sustainability: National Picture and LB Bromley’s Perspective • Alastair Baillie • Environmental Development Manger: LB Bromley • LPON • 25 September 2009

2. Introduction • Alastair Baillie (LB Bromley) on the National Picture and Bromley’s initiatives • Katherine Hudson (LB Sutton) on local approach including One Planet Sutton • Short time for Questions & Answers • Workshop to feedback on local issues

3. Unsustainable development • Historically, economic development externalised environmental and social costs leading to: • pollution and climate change • physical resource depletion • habitat loss and extinctions • poverty and ill-health

4. What is sustainable development? • ‘Sustainability’ isn’t synonymous with ‘environmentalism’ but certainly grew out of it • Environmental sustainability is at its heart and has the longest track record • “A better quality of life for everyone, now and in the future” (Government definition) • Sustainable development optimises social, environmental and financial outcomes • Sustainable decision-making requires all three elements to be considered together

5. There’s resistance… • Members like ‘Clean, Green & Safe’ agenda but generally more ambivalent about ‘sustainability’ • Officers are comfortable with ‘service delivery’ but may be less so with ‘context’ • Councils not always good at joined-up thinking, especially across departments • Residents tend to dislike limitations on their personal behaviour & consumption • Government reluctant to curb economic growth or to slow the recovery from recession

6. ... & worse, strategic thought required! • Sustainability feels like strategy and tends to be ‘put-off-able’ and presents ‘uncertainty’ • Talk about ‘the future’ and some ‘turn-off’ • Local Government suffers from short-termism • But future doesn’t stand still: our role, service demands, customer expectations are changing • … we need to be ‘fit-for-future-purpose’

7. Why increasingly important? • Changing climate resulting in more frequent and extreme weather events • Mounting land-use and water pressures • Increasing traffic congestion • Waste management crisis • Growing energy demand and costs • Poverty and ill-health the norm for some • Rising quality-of-life expectations for others

8. What are the live SD issues? • Climate change mitigation • Adapting to climate change • Carbon Reduction Commitment • Food / health / sustainability nexus • Well being and happiness(also see UN Development and Happiness Index, and NEF Happy Planet Index) • Water foot-printing

9. National picture • 2005 UK Sustainable Development Strategy • Government departments have sustainability plans • New Department of State for Climate Change • Government progress reviewed annually by SDC • Sustainability of Government estate: one of Cabinet Secretary’s four Civil Service priorities • CAA: Sustainability one of the four cross-cutting themes, includes KLOE 3.1, and ‘spending decisions… must put sustainability first’ (AC chair Michael O’Higgins)

10. Integrating into wider agenda • Government is integrating sustainability into: • Planning policy • Local Area Agreements • Sustainable Community Strategies • Comprehensive Area Assessment • Place-shaping & well-being agendas • Neighbourhoods / community agenda • CYP policy: Sustainable Schools

11. Sustainable communities • Parallel theme: more familiar & local concept • SC are local embodiment of SD principles • DCLG’s overarching aim: “…to create thriving, vibrant, sustainable communities which will improve everyone’s quality of life” • “A place where people want to live and work, now and in the future” (DCLG)

12. What makes a sustainable community? • Bristol Accord (2005 UK Presidency) definition: • active, inclusive and safe • well run • environmentally sensitive • well designed and built • well connected • thriving • well served • fair for everyone

13. UK Sustainability Strategy: ‘Securing the Future’ • Purpose“To enable all people to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations” • Premise“That growth and prosperity shouldn’t conflict with sustainability and new ways of living, working, producing and travelling will contribute to well-being and sustainability”

14. Principles, priorities and indicators • 5 principles • shared between four national governments • used to achieve the strategy’s purpose • 4 priorities • consumption, climate change, natural environment and sustainable communities • 68 indicators • outcome-focused and some new measures

15. Five principles • Five principles to help deliver the Government’s purpose: • Living Within Environmental Limits • Ensuring a Strong, Healthy & Just Society • Achieving a Sustainable Economy • Using Sound Science Responsibly • Promoting Good Governance

16. Four priorities • The UK’s strategy focuses on four priorities: • Sustainable Consumption and Production • Climate Change and Energy • Natural Resource Protection & Environmental Enhancement • Sustainable Communities

17. Sustainable consumption and production • How can we deliver new products and services with lower environmental impacts • How to ‘achieve more with less’ (familiar?) • Potential to make our contracting activities and procurement more sustainable • And now have a CAA Use of Natural Resources assessment

18. Climate change & energy • Top of government’s environmental agenda • How can we move to a low carbon economy? • Climate Change Act: 80% CO2 reduction 2050 • Low Carbon Transition Plan (to achieve target) • Carbon Reduction Commitment (like EU ETS) • CC NI in all LAA (to greater or lesser extent) • Adapting services to climate change - challenge

19. Sustainable communities and a fairer world • How to create ‘places’ where people want to live, that promote opportunity and a better quality of life for all? • Vibrant thriving town centres • Local Development Framework • Links with supporting independence and creating safer communities • Health agenda e.g. Improved air quality leads to increased life expectancy etc

20. UK sustainability strategy indicators (see booklet) • Monitors everyday concerns: e.g. health, housing, jobs, crime, education and environment • Indicator booklet shows of breath of subject • Annual report - traffic light system • 68 indicators (comprising 127 measures) • 20 are UK Framework indicators • 48 other priority-related indicators • And now also ‘well being’ measures

21. Greenhouse gases (3) Electricity Generation (2) Carbon dioxide etc (7) Resource use (5) Waste (2) Natural resources (12) Contextual indicators (5) Society (3) Employment & Poverty (7) Education (2) Health (6) Mobility & Access (4) Social Justice Environmental Quality (8) International (1) Well being (1) 68 Sustainability indicators

22. Greenhouse gases Resource use Waste arisings Bird populations Fish stocks Air pollution River quality Economic growth Community participation Crime Employment Worklessness Childhood poverty Pensioner poverty Educational attainment Health inequality Mobility Social justice Environmental quality Well being 20 UK framework indicators

23. NI 185 CO2 reduction from Local Authority operations NI 186 Per capita CO2 emissions in the LA area NI 187 Tackling fuel poverty – people receiving income based benefits living in homes with a low energy efficiency rating NI 188 Adapting to climate change NI 189 Flood and coastal erosion risk management NI 190 Achievement in meeting standards for the control system for animal health NI 191 Residual household waste per head NI 192 Household waste recycled and composted NI 193 Municipal waste landfilled NI 194 Air quality (reduction in estate/ops NOX and primary PM10 emissions) NI 195 Improved street and environmental cleanliness (graffiti, litter, detritus, fly posting) NI 196 Improved street and environmental cleanliness (fly tipping) NI 197 Improved local biodiversity (active site mgmt) NI 198 Children travelling to school (usual mode of travel) Also familiar with the 14 environmental sustainability NIs

24. Diverse approaches • Sustainability looks different in each borough • Approach is based on heritage and reflects service / member priorities • Typically expressed as ‘greener living’ agenda (borough) or ‘greener working’ (council - internal) • Environmental sustainability more usual than a fully-rounded approach to sustainable development • May be Corporate or in environment department • Agenda currently being hijacked by climate change (though this can be a route in)

25. Sustainability mapping initiative • Joint London Councils / LECF initiative • Mapping best sustainability practice (e.g. Islington Local Food Action) • Mapping sustainability capacity(e.g. Scope and resources) • Suggesting best practice(e.g. what approaches have most utility)

26. LB Bromley’s sustainability work • Waste minimisation projects • Sustainable procurement • Bromley’s Environment Awards • Sustainability Policy (based on SDC’s Local Sustainable Development Lens) • Bromley Sustainable Schools Forum • Helping service managers address SD

27. LB BROMLEY’S CLIMATE CHANGE FRAMEWORK BOROUGH ADAPTATION PLAN COUNCIL MITIGATION PLAN BOROUGH MITIGATION PLAN CARBON MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (25% CO2e reduction over five years) AFFORDABLE WARMTH PLANS TRANSPORT PLANS ADAPTATION PROJECTS PROPERTY PROJECTS STREET LIGHTING PROJECTS FLEET/TRAVEL PROJECTS CARBONPROJECTS DOMESTIC, COMMERCIALANDTRANSPORTPROJECTS NI 188 ‘Level 2’ by 2010/11 Sustainability Lead NI 185 12% CO2 red’n by 2011/12 Jt. ES/Prop. Lead Carbon Reduction Commitment Target to be determined Sustainability Lead Carbon Footprint Reporting Annual CAA report Sustainability Lead NI 186 8.5% percapitareductionby2010 SustainabilityLead LPSA2 Target 42t carbon red’n by 2009/10 Property Lead

28. Some initiatives to investigate • Brent’s Green Zones & Lewisham’s Green Street (Zero Waste Places) • Islington’s Local Food Action • Sutton’s One Planet Living • Hillingdon’s sustainability toolkit • GOL’s Sustainable Schools Forum

29. Some policy tools to try… • ‘Stretching the web’ (DEFRA): Integrating sustainability into the policy making http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/think/stretch/index.htm • ‘Local Sustainability Lens’ (SDC/CAG):Voluntary basket of local indicators for tracking progress towards sustainabilityhttp://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/local-sustainable-development-lens.html • ‘Signposting Sustainability through CAA’ (Improvement Network): For policy officers to help councils/LSP address CAA and sustainability issues http://www.improvementnetwork.gov.uk/sustainable

30. Some websites to visit… • Sustainable Development in UK http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/index.htm • Sustainable Development Commission • http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/ • Sustainable Development in Governmenthttp://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/

31. Some communities to explore... • 2-degrees Networkhttp://www.2degreesnetwork.com/ • IDeA ESCCapehttp://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=80829 • London Boroughs’ Climate Change Grouphttp://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/networks/climatechange/default.htm

32. Some ideas to progress… • Develop sustainable procurement policy • Address the local food / health agenda • Embed sustainability (and carbon) in contracts and council decision-making • How are services planning to adapt to a changing climate? • Develop your LSP’s environmental work • And talk to your sustainability manager!

33. London Policy Officers’ Network • Thank you for listening… • …any quick questions? • 25 September 2009