APPENDIX 17
Memorandum from the Environment Agency
QUESTION 1.
Is a lack of public engagement and understanding
a real obstacle to the Government's progress on its sustainable
development agenda? Have there been any studies to show this?
Please refer to practical examples where possible.
1.1 The achievement of sustainable development
requires action by government, business, scientists and researchers,
communities and individuals. A recent survey of public attitudes
to the environment commissioned from Test Research by the Environment
Agency in April 2001 indicates that the general public "think
locally" about the environment and are "keen to make
a greater individual contribution but lack the knowledge to do
so". Efforts are made by Government and a range of other
bodies to inform and educate the public through public awareness
campaigns but these tend to be single issue campaigns and there
is little or no cross-organisational co-ordination to build and
sustain public understanding. Developing public understanding
and providing the knowledge base and skills will improve engagement.
1.2 Recent government survey results also
show the general public to be more aware of some of the major
global environmental challenges—eg climate change and thinning
of the ozone layer — but less clear of the causes and remedies.
A clear identification of the problem, its cause and likely impacts
for the medium and longer term and crucially, how to halt and
reverse the trend, must be made a priority across the broad educational
framework.
2. QUESTION 2
Is there a need for a national strategy for education
for sustainable development? Would additional infrastructure be
required to deliver a coherent, national strategy?
2.1 In the wake of the World Summit at Johannesburg
in 2002, the United Nations has announced its aim for a decade
of education for sustainable development from 2005 to 2015. As
well as supporting this initiative, the present Government has
set in train a range of reforms of formal education, workforce
development and community regeneration. Together, these initiatives
present a powerful opportunity for the integration of sustainable
development learning across society in the UK. For this to succeed,
a coherent strategy which currently does not exist is vital and
one that the Government consults on widely.
2.2 The core of a national strategy should
be to make a proper assessment of the current knowledge base of
different sectors and to build a knowledge database which would
allow a systematic approach to include sustainable development
in continuous professional development and other educational curricula.
Skills based learning is a further important element of this strategy
and one which could be addressed through Sector Skills Learning
Councils.
2.3 The Environment Agency is seeing positive
signs that Trade Unions, Professional Institutions, Sector Skills
Councils are offering SD learning in the workplace and it is
encouraging that groups like the Sustainability Alliance and the
Society for the Environment are signed up to greater collective
action. As this develops there is a need for guidance and examples
of what others are doing. Some mechanism for pooling ideas and
good practice would help to encourage those who are already engaged
and act as a resource to encourage others to participate.
2.4 Rather than adding new infrastructure,
the Environment Agency would recommend making better use of the
existing infrastructure. The Department for Education and Skills
could demonstrate greater leadership and coordination in relation
to SD learning across Government Departments—and via their
policies and guidance to the many organisations for whom they
are responsible. This would be a core element in a national strategy.
3. QUESTION 3
Are existing awareness raising Government campaigns
such as "Are you doing your bit?" effective and well
targeted? Have past campaigns been evaluated? How could they
be improved in the future?
3.1 The Government's "Are you doing
your bit?" campaign started a process of public awareness
raising around some very fundamental behaviours and their contribution
to a number of environmental and sustainability challenges. The
use of the media (television, newspapers and public notice boards)
to convey simple messages relating to sustainable development
was a step in the right direction. Radical behaviour change needs
a range of focussed, concerted national and local actions over
a sustained period. These actions need to be of a scale commensurate
with the major public health campaigns such as the initiatives
over the years on smoking, seat belts, road safety, drink and
drive and flood awareness.
4. QUESTION 4
Are there existing education programmes relating
to sustainable development which might be considered good practice?
These might include in-house training schemes for ESD for employees
and stakeholders within businesses, the civil service and other
organisations. Are there elements of successful, strategic communication
programmes in other areas, which could be applied to ESD? For
example, from other Government awareness campaigns such as those
for drink driving, AIDS and smoking.
4.1 There are a number of programmes and
reviews that are focused on promoting understanding of sustainable
development, and more importantly, the tools and techniques that
enable individuals to know how to live and work more sustainably.
These include:
— Professional Practice for Sustainable
Development—this partnership project involving the Environment
Agency promotes inter-professional learning for sustainable development
and has produced a one-day Foundation Course, a one-day course
for banking/financial services graduates and is working on a similar
course for the land-based sector. Systems thinking is a key component
of all these courses.
— The NCFE[11]
SD Standards—Foundation level has already been developed
in partnership (including the Environment Agency) and accredited
by the QCA, with the Intermediate and Advanced levels soon to
follow. These qualifications are modular and designed to be accessible
to those in the community, workplace or for general education.
— The review of Bachelor and Masters
Engineering degree courses—The Institute of Chartered Engineers
(ICE) has been working with others (including the Environment
Agency) to review degree courses they accredit to take account
of sustainable development. It is hoped that following approval
by the Joint Board of Moderators (due for discussion on 7 February)
the revised curricula, which is based to a large extent on inputs
from the Environment Agency, will be in place for the 2003-04
academic year. A wider review of all related ICE training and
qualifications is due to follow.
— The Institute of Mechanical Engineers
is also reviewing its standards for accreditation of degrees to
include reference to sustainable development.
— The following professional institutions
are all assessing their response to sustainable development, by
means of the Professional Practice for Sustainable Development
Foundation Course, codes of practice, course/training reviews
or policy statements and offer the potential of sharing their
experience:
— Royal Institute of British Architects
— Royal Society of Chemistry
— Institute of Chemical Engineers
— Institute of Mechanical Engineers
— Institution of Environmental Sciences
— Royal Town Planning Institute
— Chartered Institute of Water and
Environmental Management
— Institute of Civil Engineers
— Chartered Institution of Building
Services Engineers
— Chartered Institute of Purchasing
and Supply
— Institute of Environmental Managers
and Assessment
— Chartered Institute of Wastes Management
— A number of companies have been exposed
to programmes promoting more environmental and sustainable business
practices with support from The Natural Step. These companies—amongst
which are The Cooperative Bank, Carillion Plc (construction),
Interface Plc (carpet manufacturers), Wessex Water Plc and many
others—have, or are in the process of adopting a whole company
sustainability ethos.
— Lantra (the Sector Skills Council
for the land-based and environment sectors) is developing on-line
training for farmers and land managers based on best practices
developed by the Environment Agency with this sector.
— The Environment Agency, in partnership
with a wide cohort of sectoral/trade organisations, is offering
input to a range of construction industry qualifications and training.
The Edexcel Highers and Nationals construction qualifications
have already been amended to include a mandatory environmental
unit.
— Another element of a national strategy
would be to compile a comprehensive database of such programmes.
4.2 The main lesson to learn from other
government campaigns designed to achieve long term behaviour change
in the population is that other supporting mechanisms play a crucial
part. The Campaigns can raise awareness but cannot sustain action.
There is a difference between raising awareness and education
which require different approaches. Legislation (and with it enforcement);
incentives/penalties to business to change practices (whether
in design and manufacture, business development and reporting
or advertising and community relations); and incentives/penalties
to individuals have a part to play. For example heightened police
enforcement in the drink campaigns; the provision of free contraceptives
and needle exchanges in AIDS campaign; and tax disincentives,
legislation and advertising restrictions in the smoking campaign.
Similar support needs to be provided to deliver a sustainable
future via education and learning.
5. CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Strong leadership is required by the
Government, and in particular within Government from the DfES,
on the integration of SD within all learning provision in the
UK whether formal or informal.
5.2 A national strategy for learning that
supports sustainable development across society is required. That
strategy, potentially based on recommendations from the Government
Panel for SD Education, should be consulted upon widely and form
the basis for the UK's response to the UN Decade for Sustainable
Development Education (2005-15).
5.3 Greater incentives and wider access
should be provided for people to learn about and how to live and
work (skills, knowledge, values) more sustainably and the impacts
of not doing so.
5.4 The current (and future) practice that
supports sustainable development should be more widely shared,
better coordinated and developed cohesively through multi-agency
partnerships involving private, public and voluntary sectors and
comprehensive databases.
5.5 The current Government reviews across
formal education, workplace learning, community regeneration and
informal learning/campaigns present a huge opportunity for the
integration of SD—an opportunity no-one can afford to miss.
A "cradle to grave" approach to SD learning is required.
5.6 Practical support in the form of incentives,
free/low cost products, legislation and other mechanisms are required
to make public awareness campaigns deliver real behaviour change
and the engaged action of all.
February 2003
11 NCFE is a national awarding body based in the NE
of England Back
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