A better quality of life - The Revised UK Strategy on Sustainable Devlopment

A special meeting of the Round Table was held on 17 May to mark the launch of the revised UK Strategy on Sustainable Development. Environment Minister Michael Meacher MP attended the meeting to brief members on the key aspects of the strategy.

He said the document did not announce many new policies but brought together the many different threads of sustainable development. It was intended to give the public an oversight of the direction in which the Government was moving and a focus for action by others. The emphasis on indicators was a key development from the 1994 Strategy. Indicators could be a harbinger for action: if they were not moving in the right direction then the relevant policies would be reviewed.

A key announcement was the proposal to replace the Round Table and the Government Panel with a new Sustainable Development Commission. This body, which was to come into existence early in 2000, would be asked to monitor progress on sustainable development and build consensus on action to be taken by all sectors to accelerate its achievement. The Commission would report mainly to the Deputy Prime Minister and DETR but its Chairman would have access to the Prime Minister and its impact should be felt across Whitehall. It would be a UK-wide body.

Mr Meacher praised the contribution of the Round Table and the Panel in explaining what sustainable development meant and identifying where action was needed. He hoped the schedule for the creation of the Commission would enable both bodies to complete their work programmes for the current year. Though he could give no assurance that current members would be asked to serve on the new body, their skills and expertise would give them a strong claim for membership of it; decisions on this would be taken in the autumn.

In a note to members, the Deputy Prime Minister said 'Now that many sectors and organisations have recognised the relevance of sustainable development to them, and with the publication of the strategy marking a new stage, we have decided that it is right to create a new Sustainable Development Commission, to subsume the Panel and the Round Table, and to build on their work.'

Mr John Adams (DETR) said the strategy addressed two key weaknesses of its 1994 predecessor. It sought to provide a more holistic approach to sustainable development issues, with equal emphasis on the economic, environmental and social aspects and better integration of them. The Strategy also sought greater involvement of those outside Government and stressed the need for co-operation and partnership.

Members welcomed the emphasis on indicators, and the willingness to change policies where progress was shown to be unsatisfactory. However, care should be taken that emphasis upon specific indicators did not take away from understanding of sustainable development as a whole.

The integration of policy objectives was welcomed, but trade-offs would still be needed. Government Departments had differing interests, and it would require continual monitoring and persuasion to ensure sustainable development was a key issue throughout Government.

The Government would be holding a seminar to discuss the way in which the Commission could monitor progress towards sustainable development. The Chairman had written to Mr Meacher to express his desire that the Round Table should play a positive role in the formation of the Commission.

Members commented that it was important that the Commission was, and was seen to be, independent of Government. It would play a central role in bringing different sectors together into the reporting process, and especially regional bodies.

The Commission, for its advice to have greater impact, should seek to influence players outside Government. But there were other bodies, such as Going for Green, whose aim was outreach. The Commission would need to co-operate with them so as not to duplicate effort.

Whatever the specific remit in respect of monitoring and reporting, it was vital that the Government understood that the resources available to the Commission would determine its capacity to fulfil its functions.

The proposal to subsume the Round Table into the new Commission had significant and immediate implications for its work programme. It was agreed that it would be difficult to complete an extensive programme of studies before the Commission was formally established. The Round Table would do better to focus on just one, or perhaps two, studies. It would be a pity to lose the opportunity to report on at least one matter of substance, such as the compatibility of high and stable levels of economic growth with sustainable development.

Summing up, the Chairman said he would come forward with fresh proposals for the residential meeting on 25 & 26 June, including extensive discussion of the White Paper and the role of the new Commission, with less time spent on the work programme. He would also contact the Convenor of the Panel, Sir Crispin Tickell, to suggest a joint approach to advising on the role of the new Commission.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

The Round Table published its Small and Medium-sized Enterprises report on 25 May. Derek Osborn said 'Most of the focus in thinking about businesses and sustainable development has been on large firms. But small firms, which make up the vast majority of all our businesses, can play an important part in helping us move in a more sustainable direction.'

Ewen Cameron, who chaired the subgroup which prepared the report, added 'Our key conclusion is that, important as it is to address small firms directly, in fact the most effective way of helping them to see the need for action is through education and raising the awareness of these issues amongst the UK population as whole. Small firms are, arguably, more heavily influenced by the personal values of the people who manage and work in them than are larger companies.'

Secretariat