Can we steer a sustainable course through the spending cuts? Free decision making tool launched today
25/06/2010 15:39
The SustNav sustainability decision making tool (www.SustNav.org.uk), launched today by charitable sustainability Champions Sustainability South West, offers a free set of criteria to help identify and prioritise cutting the least sustainable activities to help people through the spending cuts.
We now know that our government departments have been asked to find spending cuts of around 25%. To be sustainable, cuts must not only save money now but also in the years ahead if we want to secure a more resilient future. Only by applying a full set of sustainability assessment criteria to spending reviews can the most unsustainable activities can be targeted whilst ensuring that the most sustainable activities are supported.
The criteria, ten sustainability principles, also identify the most sustainable activities which we cannot afford to cut. This is in line with the key messages of reports including the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change which demonstrates that future economic, social and environmental costs will be immense if a low carbon approach is not prioritised over a high carbon approach.
Further, we must maintain investment on preventative ‘green’ infrastructure which will allow all of us to live healthier, more active, socially-just and resource efficient lives. It no longer makes financial sense to deal with the economy in isolation from delivering social progress, tackling disadvantage and living within environmental limits. It is now clear that sustained future prosperity can only be secured through sustainable development.
SustNav has already been backed by a wide range of organisations including Defra, Avon Fire and Rescue, Wessex Water, The National Trust, TUC, Environment Agency, the Regional Development Agency, Equality South West and several NHS Trusts. A full sustainability audit must be adopted if the current round of spending cuts can credibly be described as achieving ‘good value for money’ in the long term.
SSW Director Leslie Watson explains, “This unifying set of principles will aid more sustainable decision making on spending cuts and we hope that they will be applied by all government departments to achieve an efficient joined up approach to budgeting.”
New Coalition MP Duncan Hames, who launched SustNav at an event in Bristol says, “I look forward to exploring with SustNav ways we can ensure that future government expenditure is not just financially affordable but socially and environmentally sustainable too.”
© 2007 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.