SKILLS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

THE CHALLENGETESS GILL

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

THE EXTENT OF THE CHALLENGE

• Climate Change Committee –October Report:

• Sustainable emissions reductions in the UK through implementation of measures to improve carbon efficiency have been very low and largely due to the recession

• GHG emissions over the period 2003 to 2007 fell at an annual average rate under 1%.

• Going forward a step change will be required to achieve deep emissions cuts required through the first three carbon budget periods and beyond:

SOME OF THE ACTION NEEDED

• Make a major shift in the strategy on residential home energy efficiency, moving away from the existing supplier obligation, to a transformation of our residential building stock through a whole house and street by street approach, with advice, encouragement, financing and funding available for households to incentivise major energy efficiency improvements.

Transport Plans

• 25% emissions reduction on 2007 levels by 2020:

• Falling carbon intensity of new cars to 95 g/kmin 2020 from158g/km.

• 240 thousand electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2015, and 1.7 million by 2020, supported by appropriate charging infrastructure.

• Roll-out Smarter Choices to encourage better journey planning and increased use of public transport across the UK and training drivers in eco-driving.

• reducing material throughput essential with or without growth

• evidence of absolute decoupling virtually absent • prospects for decoupling fast enough ambitious at best

0

50

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1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

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= 1

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Iron Ore Bauxite Copper Nickel Zinc GWP

Gross World Product

Resource inefficiency

BEYOND CLIMATE CHANGE

• Climate change one result from living beyond the world’s resources.

• Need to also increase resource efficiency and protect bio-diversity

• Principles of sustainable development set out principles

Five new principles

We want to achieve our goals of living within environmental limits and a just society, and we will do it by means of a sustainable economy, good governance, and sound science.

What are sustainable skills?

• Skills may just that – specific skills needed for example to advise, purchase and install renewables.

• See Pro Environ – LCREE skills paper for e.gs and SW/O Research Brief.

• But there are also far more generic skills/capacities/awareness to initiate, progress and manage change ….

LCIS and skills

• Core skills – STEM• More general skills – communication,

leadership and management skills to drive culture change or overhaul business practices;

• Sustainable procurement, environmental and risk management, monitoring;

• Energy, resource efficiency, product life cycle, carbon auditing and trading.

Sustainable Skills

• Some SDC suggested skills for all learners:• Understanding evidence/impacts• Systems thinking• Understanding change• Thinking locally and globally• Critical thinking• Understanding risk and precautionary principle

Current skille.g plumbing

LCREE outputMore water efficiency

No wider output In work or community

Skill inputLCREE plumbing

Current skille.g. plumbing

Output More Water efficiency

Advises clients on Range of measuresActive in community

SD/LCREE inputPlumbing +

Done with associated skills sets

E.G Resource efficiency - Water

• Almost a quarter of public water supply is lost through leakage.

• Over 25% of groundwater bodies in England is at risk from over abstraction.

• Over 50% of UK water consumption is in the home – third flushed down the toilet.

• Hot water use in homes accounts for 5% of total GHG emissions

• Leakages from petrol stations contribute to water pollution in groundwater.

• Action required by Government, employers and providers;

• Learner and trade union involvement key;• Resource efficiency better approach than

low carbon;• Supply chains can be used to spread

learning and ideas;• Public sector procurement important

Delivery -Roundtable

Delivery – Aldersgate Group

• All policies e.g. subsidies for wind or LC Regions have corresponding skills strategies;

• All sectors of economy need development of skills on generic issues.

• Bin classification of green jobs.• Requirement on all employers to provide

skills training in sustainability?

Government to lead

• Government to take co-ordinated approach to making low carbon sustainable skills major focus of skills delivery.

• Need UK Commission for Employment and Skills to lead.

• Little way to go – their Ambition 2020 World Class Skills report not mention it.

Every BIG helpsEvery BIG helps

• To achieve our goal of getting off fossil To achieve our goal of getting off fossil fuels reductions in demand and increases fuels reductions in demand and increases in supply must be big.in supply must be big.

• Do not be distracted by the myth that Do not be distracted by the myth that ‘every little helps’ If everyone does a little ‘every little helps’ If everyone does a little we will only achieve a little.we will only achieve a little.

• David JC MacKay – Sustainable Energy David JC MacKay – Sustainable Energy without the hot air. without the hot air.

SO WE NEED HIGH AMBITION SO WE NEED HIGH AMBITION AND DELIVERYAND DELIVERY

• ““We have a terrible record of leading the world We have a terrible record of leading the world on rhetoric and failing to deliver in our own on rhetoric and failing to deliver in our own backyard” – Jonathan Porritt on climate backyard” – Jonathan Porritt on climate change.change.

• ““Fixation of producing endless policy Fixation of producing endless policy documents and total lack of interest in delivery”documents and total lack of interest in delivery”

• Senior Government Official quoted in FT Senior Government Official quoted in FT 29/06/09.29/06/09.

South West can lead the way

• Great opportunity to make real progress and use SW as exemplar when it comes to skills for future society.

• Lets use today to think big and move from policy to practice.