Sustainable development
Sustainable development may sound complicated, but it’s based on a simple idea: that we should meet our needs without creating negative impacts environmentally, socially or economically.
Put simply, it is about living our lives in a way that looks after places, people and pockets, especially those most in need.
Sustainable development is relevant to everyone’s lives, and we must all do our bit and take responsibility for our own actions. The Council has produced a Sustainability and Climate Change Framework (SCCF) to set out a strategic approach for delivering environmental, social and economic benefits in a joined-up way, helping us to meet local, national and international obligations and offering opportunities for efficiency and cost avoidance.
The SCCF has set the context for a strategic, cross-Council approach to sustainability since 2016 which builds on existing good practice achieved through a wide variety of past activities. It replaced a ‘Sustainable Development Strategy for East Dunbartonshire’, which was launched in 2004. An accompanying action plan, which sets out how our strategic commitments will be delivered, was approved by Council on 19 December 2019 and updated in September 2021. The most recent progress report on the delivery of the SCCF Action Plan was approved by Committee in January 2024, and can be viewed on the Modern.gov website.
The SCCF will be superseded by the new framework set out in the forthcoming Climate Action Plan (CAP) which will drive forward actions on climate change mitigation, adaptation and broader sustainability. In the intervening period, the SCCF and Carbon Management Plan will continue to guide Council policy for working towards net zero emissions, sustainability and climate change adaptation.
Council approved the CAP Evidence and Options Report on 28 September 2023 and agreed a net zero target of 2036 for Council’s direct emissions (including emissions from the fleet of vehicles and buildings) and energy that the Council purchases (such as electricity), in addition to a target of 2045 for all other emissions including area wide.
The CAP will contain an action plan to support the delivery of these ambitious targets and is intended to supersede the existing climate change policies and actions contained in the SCCF and Action Plan. It will also encompass and extend the scope of the Climate Action Plan (CMP). During 2023 - 24, work progressed on the development of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) which is due to be taken to Council in draft form in the spring of 2025.