Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

Meeting the Environmental Challenge
• Cultural, spiritual and historic meanings (e.g.
folklore, sense of place, local distinctiveness,
historic settings).
• Artistic inspiration (e.g. nature in poems, novels
and articles, music and visual arts, Constable
country, sculpture, historic buildings as
marketing images).
• Opportunities for personal development (e.g.
conservation volunteers, ecological surveys/
archaeological investigations, skills for work).
• A sense of community (e.g. a focus for building
community spirit).
Too often, however, environmental issues are
thought of as ‘somebody else’s problem’. People
look to their local councils to deal with litter and
pollution, businesses often feel they have a right
to generate waste, and public bodies do not always
practice what they preach!
We all have a responsibility for ensuring that we
put the region on a more sustainable footing. A
good starting point is our schools, colleges and
universities. Study of the environment is part of the
national curriculum and citizenship studies offer
opportunities for pupils to discuss and get involved
in environmental issues. An increasing number
of higher education institutions offer environmental
courses, and volunteering in environmental
conservation organisations is now a recognised
path to developing a career in the field. But the
region should aim higher and wider than this – it
should make environmental consciousness part of
mainstream thinking.
58 The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
Achieving the Aim
• Regional bodies and local authorities should
lead by example, to show how environmental
considerations can successfully permeate
through all decision-making.
• Agencies, local authorities, and other
institutions with responsibilities for
environmental issues should work together
more closely, and with business and local
communities, to increase awareness, and
encourage joint ownership of environmental
issues, with the aim of achieving improvements
to all aspects of the environment.
• Environmental performance should be
monitored, and challenging targets set for
enhancing the environment, to celebrate
success where it happens, and take action
where it does not.
6 THE WAY FORWARD
In May 2002 the Government issued a White Paper on Regional Governance:
‘Your Region, Your Choice’ which set out Government proposals to:
• Promote the gradual development of Regional Governance arrangements in all
regions, including the role of voluntary regional chambers.
• For those regions where there is a particular demand, proposals to introduce directly
elected assemblies.
The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) has a policy position of wanting to
concentrate on the gradual development of the Regional Assembly, in its current
voluntary regional chamber state. This work has become known, in shorthand, as the
‘Chapter 2 agenda’ as it relates to Chapter 2 of the Regional Governance White Paper.
For the foreseeable future, therefore, EERA will be concentrating on aligning a number
of regional strategies for the East of England, and building a consistent vision for the
sustainable social, economic and environmental development of the region.
Within this context, EERA has a key role to play in promoting this Environment Strategy. But
its implementation will only happen if all those with an interest are prepared to act. EERA
will therefore work with regional stakeholders to take it forward, and to monitor its success.
To help in this process, this section sets out the Key Actions that need to be taken with
respect to each of the Strategic Aims (SAs) identified in Chapter 5. In many instances
there will be a number of additional actions that can, and should, be taken. The focus
of the Key Actions presented here is to make sure that those that are fundamental to the
region as a whole are understood and carried out. Key Indicators are also given.
These are included in order to measure success in implementing the Key Actions.
The Way Forward
The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
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