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Sustainability Project
In 2002 at a Conference on Sustainability the Premier of NSW announced the establishment of a Senior Officer Group to “look at triple bottom line reporting”. The Senior Officer Group carried out a survey of 38 budget and off-budget agencies. The findings of the survey were summarised in a report prepared by a consultant, Ms Kendal Hodgman and provided to the Premier’s Department for its information.
Findings
The report shows all agencies in the sample were taking action to support at least one of the following issues:
- Protecting the environment; for example through conservation, preservation of natural diversity and reduction of waste and pollution
- Promoting sustainable economic growth; for example through integrating environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity
- Creating socially just communities; for example through strategies to promote social equity, employment and other life opportunities, participation in all aspects of public life, and safe and secure communities
- Exercising responsible use of public sector resources; for example, by ensuring fiscal prudence and accountability, and by implementing policies such as the Government Energy Management Policy and the Waste Recycling and Purchasing Policy.
A common theme was that sustainability involves “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, the definition originally proposed by the World Commission on Environment and Development (the 1987 “Brundtland Commission” report).
The report also noted (i) government cannot solve all problems of sustainability by itself, but relies on “partnerships and synergies” with individuals, communities, households, the private sector, councils, NGOs and other sectors of society, and (ii) addressing sustainability requires initiatives at local, regional, State-wide, national or global levels.
The report’s key recommendation was that the NSW public sector develop an “agreed definition and categorisation of Sustainability.”
Next Steps
Given many agencies tend to focus on one aspect of sustainability (environmental, economic, social or public sector governance) the Premier’s Department is working on a Definition and set of Sustainability Principles that will provide a common understanding of sustainability across the whole NSW public sector.
The Premier’s Department is currently developing a whole-of-government approach to sustainability with input from the Chief Executive Committee.
For further information
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