The following ten principles are taken from SustNav – which promotes them as a guide to navigating lasting solutions, and as a basis of its assessments, training and guidance (and as a means of steering its projects and campaigns).
- Develop sustainability skills Learn and share the ‘why' and ‘how' of sustainability. Lead the way and inspire others to follow.
- Improve health and well-being Support healthy homes and workplaces; safe and green environments; and active, caring communities.
- Reduce inequalities Reduce inequalities at home and abroad, in access to: basic goods and services; work, learning and leisure opportunities; and a decent home.
- Cut resource use Use less and cut carbon (and other greenhouse gas) emissions, water use, waste, and pollution; use materials wisely including increasing the use of renewable energy.
- Support low carbon economies Support a low carbon approach to economic development - including jobs, innovation and enterprise, built development and renewable energy generation.
- Reduce high carbon travel Support low carbon access including walking, cycling, efficient public transport, ICT access and mobile/local service delivery. Fly as a last resort.
- Live local Use local goods and services and nurture and celebrate the distinctiveness, diversity and heritage that make a place special.
- Revive our life support systems Protect and support our natural ‘life support systems' - air, water, land and overall biodiversity.
- Be inclusive Support wider, more informed participation in local and global challenges. Involve all affected groups in decisions and developments.
- Think long term Take account of changes on the horizon - including climate change - and think in a joined up way to arrive at more resilient solutions.
And here is Lesley Watson explaining how it works.
To me, this is a mix of the sensible and the difficult to do, as there is a limit in relation to what you can do as an individual – even when working with other individuals both within and outwith families. I wonder what Sustnav would make of action competence which the late Keith Bishop and I wrote about some years ago, and whose ideas Elsa Lee has used more recently in her splendid PhD set in primary school green groups.
Notes
Respond