Considering sustainability Cara MacMahon De Montfort University, Leicester, UK European Festival Research Project Le Mans research workshop 18 November 2006

Sustainability - definitions Unrelenting change Stress Workload Social factors Accountability Bureaucracy Staff supply Salary Lifestyle balance Intensification

Sustainable Concise Oxford Dictionary (10th Ed): able to be sustained Collins English Dictionary (21st Century Edition): capable of being sustained; (of economic development, energy sources, &c) capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage (as in 'sustainable development'); (of economic growth) non-inflationary.

Brundtland definition There is no single universally accepted definition of sustainability. Most commonly used, including in the Bidding Guidance for SRB Challenge Fund Round 4 (DoE 1997a) is the Brundtland definition: 'Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.

World Wide Fund For Nature To the World Wide Fund for Nature 'Sustainable development means improving the quality of life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting systems',

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives defines 'sustainable development' as development that delivers basic environmental, social, and economic services to all residents of a community without threatening the viability of the natural, built, and social systems upon which the delivery of these services depends'.

UK Local Government Management Board For the LGMB (UK Local Government Management Board) sustainable development means at least 'reducing current levels of consumption of energy and resources and production of waste in order not to damage the natural system which future generations will rely on to provide them with resources, absorb their waste and provide safe and healthy living conditions'

Key principles More important than a single agreed definition, however, are the key principles emphasised in all these discussions of sustainable development.

Key Principles The Government's overall vision of sustainable development – social progress which recognises the needs of everyone, effective environmental protection, prudent use of natural resources, and maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment – reflects a number of basic principles which now underlie sustainable development world-wide

Economic Benefit The pursuit of lasting economic benefit in terms of investment, employment, incomes and wealth which enhances the capacity of localities to maintain a continuing and stable level of economic activity.

Resource Capacity Recognition that there are limitations to the exploitation and use of current resources and that exceeding this carrying capacity threatens long term sustainability.

Interrelationships Acceptance that social, economic and environmental sustainability are inter- related, and are in turn linked to institutional and cultural sustainability.

Empowerment Belief in consultation, empowerment and partnership as the means of mobilising, informing and encouraging changes in attitudes and behaviour.

Diversity Respect for diversity, and the strengths which can be built from the co-existence of difference and variety.

Equity Commitment to equity at local, national, and international levels, in relation both to current inequalities and to the needs and aspirations of future generations.

Triple bottom line The triple bottom line (TBL) focuses corporations not just on the economic value they add, but also on the environmental and social value they add – and destroy. At its narrowest, the term ‘triple bottom line’ is used as a framework for measuring and reporting corporate performance against economic, social and environmental parameters.

Value driven At its broadest, the term is used to capture the whole set of values, issues and processes that companies must address in order to minimize any harm resulting from their activities and to create economic, social and environmental value. This involves being clear about the company’s purpose and taking into consideration the needs of all the company’s stakeholders – shareholders, customers, employees, business partners, governments, local communities and the public.

Prince Charles Reith lecture 2000 Self-interest is a powerful motivating force for all of us, and if we can somehow convince ourselves that sustainable development is in all our interests then we will have taken a valuable first step towards achieving it. But self-interest comes in many competing guises - not all of which I fear are likely to lead in the right direction for very long, nor to embrace the manifold needs of future generations. I am convinced we will need to dig rather deeper to find the inspiration, sense of urgency and moral purpose required to confront the hard choices which face us on the long road to sustainable development.

Federico Mayor ‘Crucible for a common ethic 1996’ The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and the implementation of Agenda 21 have served to highlight the complexity of the concept of sustainability which, reduced to its simplest expression, leaves open the question of what exactly is to be transmitted to future generations. They have also underscored the imperative of ensuring that the moral obligation of intergenerational solidarity is not met at the expense of our contemporaries. In many parts of the world, people have little natural capital to pass on to posterity apart from their cultural identity. It has become clear that the concept of sustainable development is meaningful only when construed in multidimensional and global terms, that is to say, when envisaged in its interrelated economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects and in the perspective of an increasingly interdependent world.

Integrated approach Economic objectives: create employment promote growth increase competitiveness Social objectives: combat poverty promote health & well-being social cohesion empowerment cultural identity Environmental objectives: avoid environmental/ecological damage the integrity of the ecosystem biodiversity global issues