Thinking nationally and globally

Guiding principles of sustainable development

In 2005, the UK Government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Administration agreed upon a set of shared UK principles that provide a basis for sustainable development policy in the UK. These are:

1. Living within environmental limits.
2. Securing a strong, healthy and just society.
3. Achieving a sustainable economy.
4. Using sound science responsibly.
5. Promoting good governance.

UK priorities

The UK has four priority areas for immediate action, shared across the UK, these are:

• sustainable consumption and production
• climate change and energy
• natural resource protection and environmental enhancement
• sustainable communities

The government also recognises that changing behaviour is a cross cutting theme closely linked to all of these priorities.

The principles and approaches are covered in more detail in Securing the Future - the UK Government's sustainable development strategy and the UK strategic framework.

Thinking Globally
The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro brought together world leaders, to discuss how best to tackle issues such as global warming, deforestation, pollution, the hole in the ozone layer, poverty, social inequality and fair trade. The Earth Summit considered the integration of environment and development for the first time and the connections between actions in one country and consequences in another, a connection termed as sustainability.

One of the most significant results of the Earth Summit was Agenda 21, a global action plan for the 21st century and beyond which was agreed by over 170 Nations including the UK. The document covered social, ethical and economic issues as well as environmental issues, and looks at ways in which quality - and equality - of life can be safeguarded and improved around the world both for this generation and those to come.

A further conference was held to review progress in Cape Town, South Africa in 2002 (10 years on) known as the World Summit on Sustainable Development where many of the outcomes focussed on the African and other developing nations.

Many of the recommendations can only be tackled at community level and the document highlighted the importance of local councils creating strategies and policies and to work in partnership. Please follow the links to Shropshire’s Sustainability Policy and the Community Strategy.

For more information, follow the link on this page.