Sustainable development

What is Sustainable Development?

One Wales: One Planet states that in Wales, sustainable development means enhancing the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people and communities, achieving a better quality of life for our own and future generations:

• In ways which promote social justice and equality of opportunity; and 
• In ways which enhance the natural and cultural environment and respect it’s limits - using only our fair share of the earth’s resources and sustaining our cultural legacy.

Sustainable development is the process by which we reach the goal of sustainability.

What is the Assembly Government doing about it?

The Sustainable Development Scheme, One Wales; One Planet, was published in May 2009 and it states that sustainable development is the central organising principle for the Assembly Government.  It also states that we will encourage and enable others to embrace sustainable development as their central organising principle. People, Places, Futures: The Wales Spatial Plan sets out the spatial vision for the future of a sustainable Wales.

The statutory duty is contained in Section 79 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. It states that "Welsh Ministers must make a scheme ("the sustainable development scheme") setting out how they propose, in the exercise of their functions, to promote sustainable development."

Other legal duties within the Government of Wales Act 2006 about sustainability and regeneration include:

• Business (section 75); 
• Equality and Diversity (section 77); 
• the Welsh Language (section 78); and 
• for biodiversity, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (section 40).

The Assembly Government has set challenging standards to reduce carbon emissions and for the diversion of waste from landfill.  We have also set environmental performance and resource efficiency standards for new buildings.