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What is Sustainable Development

Enabling everyone to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations. That means:

• Living within environmental limit
          - Limiting climate change
          - Protecting limited natural resources
• Stimulating strong, healthy communities and a just society
• Building a strong stable economy

Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet which can not be sustained. The Stern Report made clear that the cost of inaction will be far higher than the cost of tackling climate change now

Government must lead by example:

• Reducing our own impact on the environment
• Sustainable procurement of the £150 billion worth of goods and services bought every year by the public sector
• Influence through our energy and trade policy role and contacts with business and consumers.