Hansard

Environmental and sustainable policies are at the heart of everything that our Executive stands for. In moving this motion, I want to keep sustainable development at the top of the agenda and to demonstrate the way in which we are making sustainable development a reality.

It is right for this Parliament to declare its support not only for what the Scottish Executive is doing, but for making sustainable development an integral part of the democratic process in Scotland. This is not about academic theories; it is about the way in which we make development sustainable in the long run. We want, and I quote from Brundtland,

"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

For the Scottish Executive, sustainable development is about two things. First, it is about making decisions with all the issues on the table, ensuring that we understand the implications for the three arms of sustainable development— economic growth, social justice and the environment. Secondly, it is about taking a long- term view. We have become used to talking about issues on a short time scale—a political time scale—and to looking no more than five years ahead. We must think about delivering continuous progress over a much longer period.

Sustainable development is not new; it came to world prominence at the Rio summit in 1992. In 1994, the UK was among the first countries to address sustainable development. In 1999, the Secretary of State for Scotland's advisory group on sustainable development set out its proposals to the Scottish Parliament. Throughout the world, countries are addressing the challenge of sustainable development in ways that meet their needs, as Brundtland suggested.

Issues such as climate change require global action. Making a commitment to sustainable development is no longer an option for us; it is vital to our lives and is a matter of life and death for future generations. It must be central to the work of government at all levels, and it needs to be translated into everyday language and practical methods. We must address the ways in which we can change our behaviour.

Last year, the Secretary of State for Scotland's advisory group on sustainable development submitted its final report. It had worked for five years to bridge the gap between the aspirations of Brundtland and the action that was needed in Scotland. The report sets out 10 key action points, which are addressed not to the Scottish Executive, but to this Parliament. It is an excellent piece of work and I commend it to members. In a sense, it has been my route map for the past eight months. As a top priority, the advisory group said that the Parliament and the Executive should demonstrate committed leadership. It also said that we should have a debate on sustainable development.

Today's debate is the start of our discussions in the Scottish Parliament. We must further that debate so that people other than those who are already committed will begin to talk about the issue. The people who have the power to change our lives and deliver sustainable change should be involved in developing the structures and mechanisms that will make the change a long- term one.

We will report to Parliament; I intend to keep members informed of progress. A key part of the remit of the ministerial group on sustainable Scotland is to support Cabinet colleagues in attempts to embed sustainable development in all their policies and programmes. One of the group's first conclusions was that some key players from outside the Scottish Executive should be invited to join it. We must ensure that some ownership of the group is by organisations other than the Executive. We also want the group's work to make a difference—that means securing the involvement of people from a range of sectors, in particular from the business, environmental and education sectors.

I am delighted to announce the first of our appointments to the group; Kevin Dunion, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland has agreed to be a member. I invited him to join not merely so that he would agree with what we said, but so that he would help us to push on with the implementation of sustainable development objectives. I will inform Parliament of the full membership of the group as it is agreed.

Crucially, devolution gives us the opportunity to decide on the implementation of policies that will be best for Scotland. Last week, we invited tenders for work on Scottish indicators of sustainable development. I know that for many people sustainable development is somewhat intangible, but we need to know whether we are making progress and whether the steps that we are taking are steps in the right direction. There are past examples of such indicators being produced in Scotland—that gives us a strong starting point. I have asked experts to look at that work and to compare it with the best in Britain, Europe and the world and to identify the best indicators for Scotland. We must also ensure that

those indicators have wider ownership than merely that of the Parliament; the Executive and I will be running a consultative process from early in the summer to ensure that. Once the indicators have been established, we can start to build objectives and targets into all our programmes.

We need to set some priorities now, however. The key priorities in sustainable development should be to tackle the issues of waste, energy and travel. We know that reduction in the waste of resources is right; we know that raising energy efficiency and encouraging renewable energy is right; and we know that there is much more that can be done to make travel more sustainable. Waste, energy and travel bring costs to every business. Those are key concerns for everybody, every day. They are also key issues in the achievement of social justice. We have powers and we must ensure that they are used to maximum effect.

I want to ensure that we provide guidance and assistance to a range of bodies in Scotland. That guidance will enable them to relate their everyday work to the Executive's overall goals for sustainable development. The ministerial group has agreed to convene a group that will develop guidance on identifying new approaches to the key issues and on how work on those issues should be related to other initiatives.

Delivery by the Executive on the issues of waste, energy and travel will mean that companies will perform better and that public bodies will make better use of our money. We will all benefit not only in the future, but now. The challenge is to improve practice in order to improve our economic prosperity, to deliver on aspirations for social justice and to address long-term environmental quality. Using indicators, and with guidance and initiatives on waste, energy and travel, the Executive will have a powerful and practical approach to sustainable development.

We are not alone—through the devolved Administrations in Britain and through the UK Government, there are initiatives to take sustainable development forward. The National Assembly for Wales has begun work on the issue. I have met ministers from the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive—ideas are coming together there, too. In England, the regional development agencies are advancing sustainable development as part of their remit. Even with all that activity, there is still value in our all coming together and considering an overview for the UK as a whole.

The UK Government has proposed replacing both the British Government panel on sustainable development and the UK round table on sustainable development with a new sustainable development commission. I have agreed to work with the UK Government in establishing that commission to ensure that it reflects the interests of people in Scotland and to ensure that its membership, remit and work programme help in examination of sustainable development practice. The commission must also add new ideas and innovation that we in Scotland can also examine. It is vital that we remain plugged in at the UK level while engaging at a European level.

We have done much in the past eight months— our Parliament is already beginning to exert a new force for sustainable development. The constitutional steering group recommended that Executive bills should be accompanied by policy memorandums to cover the effects of those bills on sustainable development, among other things. I would argue that that is beginning to concentrate minds—we must think carefully about the impact of every bill. For some issues, such as the national park, that might seem relatively straightforward. For other issues, thinking is much more difficult and at a less advanced stage. None the less, that approach is a useful discipline and I hope that we can develop it.

For example, we know that the planning system will have profound effects on our future—it defines much of the way in which we live. One of my initiatives is the announcement of a review of the national planning guidance system, so that sustainable development will be at the heart of our objectives. We are also about to consult on the building control technical standards for conservation of fuel and power. Energy efficiency issues are key to sustainable development and the building control system represents a practical way in which to address those issues.

The Executive's report on social justice included targets and milestones and put our commitment to sustainable development well to the fore. Sustainable development has the power to deliver benefits to people who are socially excluded— benefits such as warmer homes, homes that are cheaper to heat, cleaner local environments and better public transport.

In the programme for government, we said that we would work with people to develop greater understanding of and involvement in sustainable development. We will use all available channels, such as the civic forum, community councils, local authorities and the Local Agenda 21 process, in order to reach deep into Scottish life and to enable people outwith our Parliament to become involved in the discussions.

I commend the SNP's sensible amendment—I have considerable sympathy with its main thrust and tone. In a sense, it is symbolic that I am able to agree with so much of it. However, I want to say a few words to explain the Executive's perspective and why we do not support the amendment.

We have a targeted approach. We have adopted milestones and are embedding the monitoring process. However, I do not think that sustainable development should exist in a vacuum, separated from other policy—it must be embedded in mainstream policy if we are to make real, radical shifts. We have good strategies in place on a range of issues, such as social inclusion, air quality, the national waste strategy, transport and the voluntary sector—and there will be more such strategies. Each of those strategies must deliver sustainable development and must reflect our key concerns about it.

The establishment of a super-strategy, above all those other strategies, on sustainable development is not the right way forward, as it would separate us from the radical shift that we must make. At this stage, we should reject that approach. However, I agree with many of the other points that the amendment raises, such as on analysis, obligations, awareness and developing mechanisms and targets. I say that in a constructive way but—I do not think that consensus means that we must agree 100 per cent—I wish to oppose the amendment for the reason that I have outlined.

I see the Presiding Officer instructing me to wind up—I shall begin to do so.

We are beginning to make sustainable development a reality, both in the Parliament and in the Executive. We have begun to ensure that Victoria Quay meets high environmental standards. The vehicles that we use in the Scottish Executive are dual fuelled, which brings pollution benefits. Every letter that we write contains a declared environmental profile.

The Parliament must also make the change; it must take sustainable development on board. It is important that each committee also does that— just as the Executive must address sustainable development, so each committee must make it a theme of the scrutiny process. The advisory group on sustainable development asked both the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive to take a lead.

Sustainable development is about striking a balance and taking decisions that the next generation will be able to live with. We must put into practice that laudable objective. A commitment to sustainable development will place us among the more advanced Parliaments of the world. The opportunity is open to us—we must grasp it. I commend the Executive motion to the Parliament.

I move,

That the Parliament places sustainable development at the core of its work and commends the Scottish Executive for its commitment to integrate the principles of sustainable development into all Government policies for the benefits it brings to the people of Scotland, now and in the future.