Conclusions and recommendations
1. The
Government produced a sustainable development 'Action Plan' in
November 2010, which set out how it would make its operations
and procurement more sustainable. The Government must now set
out a clear architecture for sustainable development, which describes
how these goals will be implemented and monitored, and how responsibility
for the necessary actions will be distributed between departments.
(Paragraph 14)
2. We
are unhappy with the way that the Government has consulted with
the devolved administrations on the impacts to this shared body
[the SDC]. We recognise that sustainable development is a devolved
matter and that as a consequence the UK Government is entitled
to develop and deliver policy independently. However, decisions
which impinge on a shared strategy should not be undertaken lightly
or unilaterally. (Paragraph 16)
3. The
Government has not committed to continuing the SDC's capacity
building work, by for example embedding Defra staff in departments
or undertaking further department-wide 'sustainability assessments'.
The SDC has promoted sustainable development effectively through
this work and has developed experience in this area which is at
risk of being lost. There is still much to be done in developing
capability across all departments. The Government must ensure
that the SDC's experience is transferred into Government and that
it continues to work with departments to develop the capability
needed by all departments to improve their sustainability performance.
(Paragraph 24)
4. While
Defra has the expertise to help departments become more sustainable,
it is not the best place from which to drive improved sustainable
development performance across Government. After many years with
the policy lead in this area, a different approach now needs to
be taken, to provide greater political leadership for the sustainable
development agenda. A new minister for sustainable development,
ideally in the Cabinet Office, would provide a more effective
base for driving action in departments. (Paragraph 34)
5. An
enhanced Cabinet Office role on sustainable development would
need access to specialists and expertise to advise it and other
departments on how sustainability could be better embedded in
their decision making. Existing sustainable development experience
in Defra should be transferred into the Cabinet Office, allowing
it to assess the sustainability of departments' policy proposals,
Business Plans and operational and procurement practices. (Paragraph
35)
6. A
Cabinet Office lead would also need a Treasury ready to play a
more committed supporting role, to use the sustainable development
levers at its disposal. Treasury buy-in to the sustainable development
agenda is essential. It is in a position to exert real influence
over other departments, including the possible use of sanctions
against poor sustainability performers. (Paragraph 36)
7. Top
level political leadership must be brought to bear, and the Government
should consider how it could add such new impetus to the sustainable
development agenda. A new Cabinet Office minister for sustainable
development and the Prime Minister could be in the driving seat,
and to encapsulate that high level commitment a Cabinet Committee
with terms of reference addressing sustainable development should
be established to oversee departmental performance and encourage
more sustainable decision making across Whitehall. This would
include Ministers from all departments, the new minister for sustainable
development and perhaps the Prime Minister. (Paragraph 42)
8. The
Government must complete its work without delay to integrate the
findings of the Government Economics Service review of the economics
of sustainable development into impact assessments and the Treasury's
Green Book. The Government should provide a commitment that the
Treasury's ongoing review of the Green Book will fully reflect
these ideas, and that once revised the Treasury will monitor compliance
by departments. (Paragraph 48)
9. The
social aspects of sustainable development need to be taken into
account. The Social Task Force needs to deliver tools for embedding
this in policy appraisal, and the Treasury must support this work
and give a commitment to apply it. (Paragraph 49)
10. The
Government is reorganising the administration of the SOGE framework,
and from 2011-12 a new system will replace the SOGE targets. This
provides an opportunity, which the Government should grasp, to
deliver the improvements in the coverage of the SOGE framework
called for by the SDC, and to make the streamlining improvements
sought by individual departments. (Paragraph 57)
11. Government
must introduce a full set of indicators to measure sustainable
development, including well-being, that can be used to develop
policy. The Committee welcomes the Prime Minister's initiative
to explore how a measure for this might be generated. But this
must be done in a way that fully takes account of sustainable
development principles ('happiness' may not always reflect sustainable
development), while providing a practically useful tool for policy
evaluation and decision making. (Paragraph 62)
12. Government
must make greater effort to engage with NGO and academic expertise
in sustainable development, and assist such groups in scrutinising
its work in this field. It must also be prepared to involve these
bodies at earlier stages of policy development work, to assist
it in developing more innovative ways of addressing sustainability
issues. (Paragraph 73)
13. A
new Sustainable Development Strategy should be developed to revitalise
Government engagement on this essential foundation for all policy-making.
It could link sustainable development into other overarching policy
themes, like localism and climate change. A new Strategy should
set milestones for the development of important sustainable development
programmes including putting sustainable development more firmly
in the Green Book and developing well-being measures. It should
make clear the remits and responsibilities of all departments
as well as the leadership architecture for sustainable development,
including the role of 'central departments' and any new cabinet
committee. It should also set out how the possible use of sanctions
by those central departments could be used to encourage better
performance by departments. (Paragraph 78)
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