Managing Sustainably - How to plan a strategy

Introduction

To achieve any important goal in life it is usually a good idea to develop a plan that can produce the strategy by which a course can be plotted. This document suggests the steps that can lead to the creation of a sustainable development strategy for an individual, family or organisation and where to find supporting information on this and other selected web sites.

Step 1 - Recognise the problem

The Renewable Way web site includes many ways of looking at the problem, both scientifically and spiritually. Specifically, the briefing guide 'Consumption & the problem of unsustainable living' summarises the issues involved and the documents in the sub-directory on 'Economic Development and Sustainable Development' collectively give a more detailed explanation. However, until the fact that there is a problem is recognised and its scale understood (The Ecological Footprint of Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent gives some idea of the size of the problem for the UK and probably other developed nations), the quest to find a solution cannot begin. This is particularly important if a strategy is being developed for a collection of people (whether family or organisation), where to succeed it is necessary that everyone has some commitment to achieving the goal. You might find it helpful, at this stage, to complete the on-line questionnaire on carbon footprint & personal action on this website.

Step 2 - More knowledge always helps

The course 'Living with Climate Change' was developed to help those who have some interest and knowledge but want a broader practical introduction to sustainable development. It is among the first generation of basic adult education courses but the subject is being incorporated into syllabuses from GCSE through to Masters level (those run by Staffordshire University are an example of what is available). The Renewable Way has worked with local partners in Staffordshire to develop a number of visual .presentations for businesses, organisations and groups, such as Sustainable Development – Not Business as Usual.

Reading magazines or joining organisations sharing aims with Local Agenda 21 is a valuable way of keeping in touch with developments and picking up good ideas for action. There are also many excellent books available to borrow or buy.

Step 3 - Adopt a vision of a sustainable world to be your goal

The vision can be drawn from either secular or spiritual sources. For example, 'The Natural Step' is an international consensus document whereas the 'Lambeth Conference Resolutions on Creation and Ecology' are specifically designed for use in the Anglican Church. Both give an indication of good things to aim at and patterns of behaviour to be avoided. Partners in the Sustainable Development Thematic Group of Staffordshire’s Local Area Agreement have adopted a vision and agreed four measures, drawn from UK national indicators, that they would like to see progress towards over the next three years. ‘Achieving the 21st Century Dream – Sustainable Abundance’ is a positive agenda for achieving local, national and even international targets by investing in activities that are clearly sustainable.

Step 4 - Look at what others have done

The link between future economic development and sustainable practices is recognised internationally and more information about global action can be found on the website of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The national governments that participated in the Earth Summit at Rio in 1992 committed themselves to producing strategies for sustainable development and in cases, such as the UK, this practice has spread down to local government. Many organisations with environmental concerns and interests have produced their own plans, as have some commercial bodies. The English county of Staffordshire is currently home to a number of pioneering initiatives that will, hopefully, prove to have wider applicability. For example the Community Council of Staffordshire has produced guidance on ideas for parish/community action and Swynnerton Parish Council has produced its own strategy as part of the process of developing a Parish Plan.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the International Institute for Energy and Development (IIED) have recommended '10 lessons and features of national strategies for sustainability' (Carew Reid et al., 1994, p.12), that contain comments with a wider application:

  1. They seek to improve and maintain the well-being of people and ecosystems
  2. Their overall goal is sustainable development
  3. Their objectives are strategic and tactical
  4. The process is adaptive and cyclical
  5. They are participatory
  6. They rely on communication
  7. They are process of planning and action
  8. They are integrative and inter-sectorial
  9. They build capacity
  10. External agencies should be on tap, not on top

Step 5 - Look at what you are currently doing from output to input

Organisations, individuals and households can use the syllabus of 'Living with Climate Change', especially sessions 7 - 11, to help identify the areas of activity that should be reviewed when they audit their operations. The papers contained within 'Human activity & environmental problems' offer a reminder of the sort of activities that are unsustainable. Start by considering the impact your outputs of gases, liquids, solids and energy are likely to have on the biosphere. Then see how these can be reduced by efficiency measures within current constraints. Finally, use your purchasing policy to obtain the inputs of raw materials and capital equipment that will eliminate your problem outputs. 'How to stop wasting our future' and 'Why renewable energy is important for sustainable development' should provide the background to this audit.

Step 6 - Start with something affordable and possible

Any action has both human resource and financial impacts. So develop confidence by tackling issues for which there is an easy and affordable solution, such as improving energy efficiency and waste management. Ensure that someone is responsible for switching off the power to equipment that is not currently in use and that everyone concerned avoids switching on facilities (e.g. lights) that are not needed. Then build on existing knowledge and good practice when choosing investment opportunities.

Step 7 - Measure your progress

Money is a tool that has been developed to assist and measure human transactions. It was not designed to recognise impact on the biosphere. Therefore it is wise to measure potentially harmful outputs in volume terms (e.g. Kilowatts of power consumed, tonnes of waste sent to landfill or carbon released into the atmosphere). However, reducing the physical amount of either of the first two examples should have a positive affect on the monetary 'bottom line'. Changing to a renewable source of energy (or specified Combined Heat and Power systems) should also produce financial benefits because it would remove or reduce the cost of the Climate Change Levy (in the UK). The system for 'emissions trading' that is being introduced globally (emissions credits became legal tender in the UK in April 2001) should have the effect of translating action to reduce harmful outputs into measurable assets. The presentation 'Measuring the economic effects of Climate Change' considers why different economic factors related to sustainability should be measured on a common basis to enable development projects to be compared and the Economy, Ecology & Accountability method is suggested as a way of achieving this. The Report: Appraising sustainable investment in renewable energy gives background information on the quest to measure sustainable development and Chapter 3 (entitled 'Measuring sustainability: the problems facing investors') paragraph 3.11 refers to emissions trading.

Paul Newman

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