The Scottish Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development
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SDC Scotland statement on the UK funding announcement
27 July 2010
Commenting on the UK Government’s decision to end funding for the Sustainable Development Commission, Jan Bebbington, SDC Commissioner for Scotland, said:
“We are disappointed that the UK Government has decided to withdraw its funding from the Whitehall office of the Sustainable Development Commission. Our work has delivered efficiency savings totalling many times what the organisation has cost government, and contributed towards much greater sustainability in government in Scotland and across the UK.
"However, I am hugely encouraged by the continued level of support for sustainable development in Scotland: across all parties, business, and within civil society.
"We are now in discussion with the Scottish Government as to how we can suppport its ongoing commitment to sustainable development and we will support moves to ensure it continues to receive the independent advice and scrutiny it has requested.
“In Scotland there is a broad consensus from the First Minister down on the need to become a sustainable nation. This sends a clear signal that we want to take advantage of the transition to a low carbon, sustainable economy. Faced with the most serious economic situation for decades, along with our particular challenges of poverty and poor health, sustainable development gives us the framework for making best use of tight public finances.
” The Sustainable Development Commission Scotland works across a range of issues to support the Scottish Government. These include:
- Advising the Scottish Government in implementing the new Public Duty within the Scottish Climate Change Act
- Helping support communities cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Climate Challenge Fund
- Advising and supporting all of Scotland’s NHS Boards to improve their sustainability through use of an on-line support programme
- Advising Government on development of a more sustainable transport policy through our recent "Getting There?" report
- Conducting an annual scrutiny review of the Scottish Government’s performance, looking at Government policy, operations and structure and assessing the sustainability of its work
