Eco NW - Applications
Where and how to use the Eco-region NW
Local strategy
For local organizations and communities, the first question is how they can work together, whether through Local Strategic Partnerships, or sub-regional groupings. The LSP can develop a set of 'horizontal' actions for the shorter term:
- Corporate policy and mission: promote Sustainable Community Strategies, Local Agenda 21, and other vision and consensus building exercises
- Information and management: enhance the existing audits and benchmarking schemes for State of Environment, social and community audits, place checks, quality of life surveys and so on
- In-house improvements: set up green purchasing policies, travel demand management, environmental management systems, targeting and monitoring
- Policy integration between sectors, levels and agencies, to take forward the regional sustainable development framework
Looking from the shorter to the longer term, a typical eco-footprint programme will contain both 'demand side' and 'supply side' components: both 'physical' actions and 'human' actions: and will need both technical and economic resources. The 'next steps' are the actions which cost little, use available technology, gain political viability and generate social benefits - the ideal win-win situation:
- Vision: generate scenarios, projections and visions in combination with all stakeholders
- Resources: build institutional 'capacity' for cohesion, cooperation and longer term thinking
- Action: strategic business planning for short, medium and longer terms
The likely shape of a strategic programme can be charted out on a material 'cradle to grave' basis, showing the likely actions at each stage for now, soon and later
