Sustainable Development
Aberdeen City Council provides a service to promote Sustainable Development.
It is involved with the broad strategic issues of sustainable development, local agenda 21 and the environmental strategy.
Working with many of the Council's services, this service leads on ensuring that the Council's services take account of the environment and sustainable development issues.
The service also ensures that the public are informed and involved in sustainable development and environmental strategy issues.
What is Sustainable Development?
Sustainable Development is a key principle (alongside Social Inclusion) for the Council and its Community Planning Partners and is about ensuring a better quality of life for all who live, work or visit Aberdeen, for now and for the future.
Sustainable Development is about incomes and money, health, housing and education, a safe and pleasant environment and access to transport, leisure and other services.
It is about empowering people and communities to play their part in making sure that Aberdeen and its citizens thrive in the future.
Sustainable Development is also about protecting and where possible enhancing the environment, not just for its own sake but because a damaged environment will eventually hold back economic development and compromise everyone's' quality of life.
Related Links:
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Aalborg Commitments
Sustainable Scotland
Aberdeen City Council is part of the Sustaianble Scotland Network.
The Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) brings together practitioners from Scotland’s 32 local authorities to share experience and take action on sustainable development.
The SSN works on a range of issues designed to make Scotland more sustainable. We work openly with others who value working with local authorities. We have good relations with the Scottish Government, CoSLA and a huge number of organisations and networks across Scotland and beyond.
For further information on the Sustainable Scotland Network visit: www.sustainable-scotland.net
Local Agenda 21
Sustainable Development in Aberdeen City originated from our commitment to Local Agenda 21.
In 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, rich and poor nations met to discuss how to achieve sustainable development. They agreed a plan of action for the 21st Century call Agenda 21.
As so many of the problems and solutions have their roots in local activities, local authorities and local organisations are seen as the leaders responsible for ensuring 'local' Agenda 21.
In 2002, there was a follow up to the Rio Earth Summit held in Johannesburg, called the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Aberdeen City Council was asked by the Scottish Executive to attend and report back to the Executive and to other Scottish Local Authorities on implications for Local Agenda 21.
A full report on the findings, along with reports from the rest of the Civic Delegation is on the Scottish Executive's Sustainable Development web site. It is titled 'The World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002: Reports from the Scottish Civic Delegation' and can be found here: http://www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk
European Local Authorities created the Aalborg Commitments as an action tool to reinforce and re-energise the Local Agenda 21 processes. Aberdeen City Council was one of the first of 348 signatories in 2004 and will be the first in Scotland to complete a baseline review.
In Aberdeen the Community Plan has incorporated our Local Agenda 21. Aberdeen's Local Agenda 21 can be viewed here. To find out more about Community Planning visit http://www.communityplanningaberdeen.org.uk
Aberdeen EcoCity
Aberdeen EcoCity acts as a platform for environmental projects and initiatives in taking place throughout the city.
For further information contact-
Sinclair Laing - Project Officer (EcoCity)
Tel: 01224 814617
Fax: 01224 814590
Email: ecocity@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Aberdeen - A Fairtrade City
In March 2004, Aberdeen was declared a Fairtrade City. A Fairtrade Town or City is a community that has made a commitment to supporting Fairtrade. The scheme has been developed by the Fairtrade Foundation. fairtrade_A5_flyer_march_2004(327Kb).
Fairtrade gives power back both to producers and consumers. Producers get fair wages, good working conditions, help with the development of products and marketing, while consumers are given the choice to make a difference by buying Fairtrade products whenever they can.
Currently, more than 200 products carry the Fairtrade Mark, including coffee, tea, banana, chocolate, cocoa, fruit juice, sugar and honey.
Many of these products are available locally in supermarkets, cafes and in the Third World Centre in the St Nicholas Kirk and Oxfam. For a fuller list of where you can buy Fairtrade products in Aberdeen, view the Aberdeen - Fairtrade City website.
The 2008 guide to Fairtrade, with details on where to buy Fairtrade products in Aberdeen, has been published by the New Consumer Magazine and Aberdeen City Council. These are available from selected outlets in Aberdeen. Copies can also be obtained by calling 01224 814609.
For more information on Fairtrade, view the Fairtrade Foundation website or phone 020 7405 5942. Further information is available locally from the Third World Centre in the St Nicholas Kirk and from its education section, the Montgomery Development Education Centre, in Rosemount (tel: 01224 620111).
Sustainable Building Standards for Council Buildings
Aberdeen City Council has guidance to ensure sustainability principles are included into all city developments.
Sustainable Building Standards for Council Buildings is aimed at developers,architects and planners and will-
- ensure best practice and show sustainable performance
- provide a framework for assessing sustainability in development proposals
- provide guidance on standards and indicators
Contact
Andrew Win
Sustainable Development Officer
Telephone: 01224 814611
E-mail: andrewwin@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Publications
'Your Health and the Environment' leaflet (327Kb).
Back to the Your Environment home page.
