The Board is asked to note that the Agency is working to ensure the full integration of sustainable development principles within Agency work programmes, is developing a monitoring and reporting process and a programme of awareness raising amongst s...
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Countryside Agency Contribution to Sustainable Development (AP03/10)

Programme Director Responsible: Bob Roberts Lead Board Member: Tony Hams

For information 

 

Points to note:

 


·        The Agency will adopt the Government’s principles for Sustainable Development (SD) as the basis for SD monitoring

·        A monitoring and reporting system will be incorporated into the corporate and business planning structure to ensure compliance with SD principles

·        We are increasing activity and monitoring of “greening” operations

·        We will produce   an annual Sustainable Development Statement

·        Increased effort will be made to raise staff awareness and increase expertise

 

Relevance to Strategy and Corporate Plan:

 


·        ‘Towards Tomorrow’s Countryside’ states: “Our vision is a countryside that is environmentally healthier, economically more successful and socially stronger.   We want to see sustainable development in a living, well managed countryside.   We want future generations to enjoy a better quality of rural life and environment than people do today”

·        The Corporate Plan states: “We are committed to the principles of Sustainable Dwvelopment.   Achieving sustainable development in rural England is central to our remit and to our programmes of work.”





Staff and financial implications:

 


·        Provision is made within existing budgets for “greening” operations – primarily within accommodation and facilities management services

·        The plans for monitoring and reporting will increase workload of both central and programme staffs

 

Observations to the Board:



 

·        This approach is the minimum that will make a difference and justify the staff time necessary?

·        Going further e.g. by introducing SD “conditions” in all our grant offers or by changing the way we procure goods and services seems over the top

 

Background

1.   This paper informs the Board of work to ensure the full integration of sustainable development principles within Countryside Agency work programmes and of actions to develop a monitoring and reporting process and a programme of awareness raising amongst Agency staff.

 

2.  A Better Quality of life: a strategy for sustainable development in the UK (1999) sets out Government intentions to ensure that the environment, social progress and the economy are intrinsically linked at the heart of policy making.   It defines the four key objectives that must be met simultaneously to ensure sustainable development is achieved:

  • social progress which recognises the needs of everyone; 
  • effective protection of the environment;
  • prudent use of natural resources; and
  • maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.

 

3.   The strategy also sets out ten guiding principles and approaches that underpin the achievement of sustainable development - all are implicit within the Agency programme:

      Putting people at the centre.They must be able to enjoy a better quality of life, now and in the future.

      Taking a long-term perspective.   Sustainable development thinking cannot restrict itself to the life of a Parliament, or the next decade.   Radical improvements have to begin now to safeguard the interests of future generations while meeting today’s needs.

      Taking account of costs and benefits.   In pursuing any single objective, we should not impose disproportionate costs elsewhere.

      Creating an open and supportive economic system.   Sustainable development requires a global economic system which supports economic growth in all countries.

      Combating poverty and social exclusion.   Everyone should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, through access to high quality public services, education, employment, decent housing and good local environments.

      Respecting environmental limits.   Such as those which affect climate change or overuse of resources.

      The precautionary principle.   Lack of scientific certainty should not delay cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation or other damage, eg. to health.

      Using scientific knowledge.   Identify high calibre sources of information.

      Transparency, information, participation and access to justice.

      Making the polluter pay.

 

4.   Defra, the lead department for sustainable development, encourages its agencies to adhere to these principles and demonstrate good practice.   Its sustainable development strategy, Foundations for the Future (2002), commits the Department to annual reporting of performance in delivering sustainable development through its programmes.   It also puts an emphasis on the need to develop staff awareness ‘to embed the principles and commitments in this strategy in every part of the organisation.’

 

5.   Whilst NDPBs are not required to adhere to the same process, there is the expectation, expressed by the Sustainable Development Commission within SDIG (UK Sustainable Development in Government) that they will be strongly encouraged to develop strategies for target setting, performance improvement and reporting.

 

6.   Monitoring and reporting processes are now well established within many of our partner agencies and NDPBs.

 

7.   The Countryside Agency reflects sustainable development objectives within its vision for the English countryside outlined in ‘Towards Tomorrow's Countryside’ (2001) as: a countryside that is environmentally healthier, economically more successful and socially stronger. As a result the Agency's programme generally supports the principles of SD, and specific projects which the Agency is leading, such as the Community Renewables Initiative and Quality of Life Capital, are being promoted within Government, the Sustainable Development Commission and beyond, as key vehicles for encouraging SD at the local level.

 

8.   We have not adopted the Government's SD principles as drivers within our own specific strategy, and nor have we formally spelled out our contribution to the achievement of sustainable development objectives in the English countryside through targets for our own environmental performance.   Our corporate planning process does not yet include arrangements to monitor and evaluate our programmes to ensure that economic, social and environmental objectives are fully integrated and being delivered, and to assess any unintended impacts - either good or bad. 

 

9.    Consequently, we currently have little basis on which to defend the outcomes of the Corporate Plan against SD principles, and demonstrate where there is room for improvement.

 

Future actions 

10.  Guiding principles   The Agency should adopt the Government’s ten principles for sustainable development as interpreted within ’Foundations for our future’ , as the basis for development and monitoring of the Corporate Plan.

 

11.  Programme development and monitoring:   The Agency will develop and test a simple monitoring process, integrated within the existing corporate and business planning process, that will ensure that:

                  a.   the principles of sustainable development are given full consideration during the development of three year outcomes, annual targets and milestones and preparation of Business Plans;

                  b.   the delivery of the programme is assessed to ensure that sustainable development outcomes are delivered, as part of the quarterly and annual reporting arrangements.

                  c.   outcomes of the Corporate Plan can be robustly defended against SD principles.

 

12.   Grant assessment   As well as assessing our own contribution to sustainable development, we will also endeavour to take forward our principles in the work of others, who we support through the provision of grants. We will therefore look at our processes for determining eligibility for grants should include a consideration of how opportunities for achieving sustainable development can be exploited.   In this, we will take account of the grant giving processes of similar organisations. 

 

13.  Raising awareness   The Agency will work to raise staff awareness and establish a core level of understanding of our sustainable development principles through staff briefing and consultations.  

 

14.   Greening operations   Over recent years the Agency has been working to steadily reduce the environmental impacts of its own operations by following processes outlined by the Government's Greening Operations Programme.   We are now planning to give this work more emphasis and structure, underpinned by an annual cycle of evaluation against some robust key indicators of performance, with results included in the annual statement below. 

15.  Annual reporting   The Agency will in future produce a short annual statement in the Annual report and Accounts that sets Sustainable Development at the core of the Agency’s work.   The statement will spell out our contribution to the achievement of sustainable development in rural England and what we will do to enhance it.   It would include a qualitative assessment of how our programmes deliver, exemplar case studies, and a report of annual ‘greening’ achievements within the organisation.

Risk analysis and mitigation measures

16.   It will be important to ensure that our Sustainable Development principles are realistic and do not raise expectations that cannot be met.

 

17.   Inadequate monitoring and reporting of achievements may result in perceived shortcomings in the Agency’s commitment to sustainable development within Defra and beyond - in comparison with other Agencies - reflected in a loss of influence over those we would want to adopt sustainable practices in their own activities.