Sustainability

For more than a decade there has been considerable agreement at an international, national, regional and local level about the need to take action on sustainable development. As a result various proposals have been devised to take forward sustainable development from a global to local level.

Globally the main driving force for sustainable development is Agenda 21.  This outlines an international action plan for sustainable development agreed by 180 world leaders at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.  This was subsequently developed ten years later at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

In response to Agenda 21 the UK Government produced in 1994 its own sustainable development strategy.  A revised strategy A Better Quality of Life was published in 1999.  The UK Government launched its current sustainable development strategy Securing the Future in March 2005.

At the regional level, a Sustainable Development Framework 'A Sustainable Future for the South West' was produced in 2000 which sets out a vision, identifies cross cutting themes and principles required to achieve sustainable development in the south west.  This framework is currently being updated in light of the new UK sustainable development strategy.

In response to the Rio Earth Summit, Dorset took up the challenge of producing a Local Agenda 21 or local sustainable development strategy.  Led by the Dorset Agenda 21 Forum - a network of organisations and individuals from many different backgrounds and sectors - the Forum encouraged the wide participation of local people in raising awareness of sustainability issues and identifying priorities for local action. 

In 1999 as a result of this process the Forum published Dorset's Local Agenda 21 strategy - 'Dorset in the 21st Century: An Agenda of Action'.  Importantly the strategy proposes a set of visions for achieving a sustainable future, outlines the major issues which need to be addressed and identifies indicators to measure progress towards improving quality of life in Dorset.

In 2000 the sustainable development agenda changed when the new Local Government Act placed a duty on local authorities to prepare a community strategy for improving the economic, social and environmental well being of their area and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK.

In response to this a Community Strategy for Dorset was produced in 2004 with sustainability as its underpinning principle.  The strategy was developed by the Dorset Strategic Partnership, representing local, public, private and voluntary sector partners. The Strategy is currently in the process of being reviewed and as part of this process it is intended to undertake a sustainability appraisal to ensure that sustainability is again fully considered and integrated.

What is Sustainable Development?

Dorset Agenda 21

Climate Change

Visit English Heritage's new website, www.climatechangeand yourhome.org.uk.. The website aims to help owners of traditionally constructed houses understand the potential impacts of climate change on their properties and how simple building maintenance can help to lessen the effects of  increasingly extreme weather.  The site also provides detailed advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of traditionally constructed houses whilst preserving their special character.