WIREDGOV

He made his comments as he launched a major new policy to mainstream the sustainability agenda that will affect every aspect of life in Wales. The Sustainable Development Scheme will see the Assembly Government using all its devolved powers to make Wales truly sustainable in every way, from how we manage the environment to how we develop the economy.

Revealing the scheme at the Hay Festival alongside Environment Minister Jane Davidson, the First Minister said:

“The key to this plan is to take sustainable development beyond just environmental issues as we have defined them so far.  It needs to become the number one principle of everything we do – the whole package from health and education to transport and the economy. I know sustainability is in danger of becoming one of the most overused words of the early 21st century, but it is a vital concept if we can get out of the narrow environmental docket. Sustainable development is about living within our resources while improving people’s wellbeing. It is about making sure development now does not compromise the quality of life of future generations in Wales. Sustainable development is about planning for the Wales we want our children and grandchildren to inherit.

“This is not just an issue for the green lobby. It is not just about recycling our cans. It is about ensuring Wales can sustain itself with sustainable jobs and a sustainable quality of life. The choices we make now on issues like transport or education need to take into account the effect on future generations and their quality of life. There is no room for short term decisions.

“We must build sustainability into everything we do. There is a clear parallel with the difficult economic circumstances we now face – that of living beyond the country’s economic means to sustain us. Sustainable development provides us with a route to developing a lasting, strong and high skill economy that operates within environmental and financial limits. It needs to meet all the needs of our society now and in the future.

“Unsustainable development will have a profoundly negative impact on our economic, social and environmental wellbeing. Those who are the least well able to cope are likely to be hit the hardest.  Sustainable development is therefore as much about social justice as it is about securing economic resilience and living within environmental limits.”

“Achieving this vision will not happen overnight.  The timescale for this change will be the lifetime of a generation and will require understanding, support and action from not just the Assembly Government, but our communities, families and businesses.  It will mean making waste – whether from energy of what we put in our bins – a taboo. It will mean replacing the school run with organised school transport or group walking. It will mean sourcing much more of our food locally and within season.  It means investing £190 million in public health measures to improve equity in health outcomes.  It means implementing our Green Jobs strategy.  All these measures will reduce our carbon footprint.”

Environment Minister Jane Davidson said:

“This is a truly wide-reaching vision for Wales. We have committed ourselves to becoming a one planet nation – to use only our fair share of resources to sustain our lifestyles. This will ensure we leave enough resources for future generations. It is also about the types of transport we develop, and the efficiency of energy we use.

“Wales’ ecological footprint is currently 5.16 global hectares per person, compared to a global availability of 1.88 global hectares. It tells us that within our small nation we are using 2.7 planets worth of resources to sustain our lifestyles.

“Unchecked, this could rise by 20% by 2020, the equivalent of 3.3 planets worth of resources. We cannot go on like this.

“This is not just about climate change. It is about the amount of waste that is still un-recycled, the amount we travel, the amount of energy we use.

“We want Wales to use only its fair share. We have set a target of reducing our ecological footprint down to 1.88 global hectares per person. We will do this in a way that improves the lives of our less well-off communities, where issues like fuel poverty and insufficient access to fresh food are day-to-day experiences. Where the Welsh Assembly Government leads, we want the rest of Wales to follow.”

Wales is the first nation of the UK to use its ecological footprint to influence policy and measure progress. The Welsh Assembly is also one of only three administrations in the world that has a legal duty to promote sustainable development.

Jonathan Porritt, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission said:

“I am extremely pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government is showing such serious commitment to making Wales a truly sustainable country. I am also glad that the Sustainable Development Commission will have a new role in Wales in measuring the progress made by government in becoming more sustainable. If actions match the ambition shown in this document, Wales will set an example for the rest of the world to follow.”

The plan sets out a number of targets, and actions for the Assembly Government to take, including:

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is about integrating our social, economic and environmental objectives to improve well being now and in the future.