Mainstreaming Sustainable Development
Sustainable development should be mainstreamed across all aspects of Best Value and continuous improvement activity within a local authority, such as leadership, consultation, review, options appraisal, governance, the sound management of resources, joint working, equal opportunities and accountability.
Link to Case Study: Mainstreaming Sustainable Development 1: Falkirk Council Corporate Management
Link to Case Study: Mainstreaming Sustainable Development 2: Scottish Borders Council Corporate Management
An authority following that framework will have the following characteristics:
- Leadership which sets out a clear vision and commitment, with a clear structure and the organisation to secure delivery
- An integrated approach, which conjoins social, economic and environmental policy
- Sustainable development will be embedded into key aspects of its procedures
- People in the Council, and those it works with, will be part of - and support - the process, working together and learning from shared experience
- The authority will be considering the impact of its own actions, and encouraging the wider community to join with them in this process
- Performance will be measured, reported on and reviewed; and
- Practical demonstrations of outcomes will be being secured.
This online tool includes case studies of seven Scottish local authorities' engagement with Best Value and sustainable development. They all contain features of good practice. They also differ from one another, illustrating that authorities will develop their approach according to their starting point, and their particular priorities and needs.
The commitment and processes will show through in delivery of practical outcomes. Much of sustainable development relates to improving familiar core business, and outcomes will develop from those already being achieved, though some activities will have a new or different emphasis. The following illustration is not prescriptive - each authority should have its own priorities - but indicate the kind of outcomes which should become evident:
- The Council, with partners, is actively developing the market for recycled materials; it specifies the use of recycled materials in its procurement contracts.
- The Council is continuing to make progress towards eliminating fuel poverty.
- The Council is actively addressing the challenges of Climate Change through delivery of Scotland's Climate Change Declaration, increasing resource efficiency and reducing emissions and running costs in its transport and buildings, and taking account of future climate scenarios in planning and development; its performance has encouraged others to follow suit.
- The Council and community plan partners have pioneered remote and local access to services, increasing service provision and reducing the need for travel.
- Planning policies are resulting in clustered development, with reduced travel and increased developer contributions.
- The Council is helping secure an integrated public transport system, with through ticketing, easy interchange, increasing ridership and user satisfaction.
- There is widespread participation in the Eco Schools Programme.
- The Council is supporting the outcomes set out in Choosing Our Future, Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy.