Sustainability East is the East of England's independent sustainable development champion.

We work with policy makers, local government, public agencies and private business to help embed sustainable development in the region and beyond. We do this by commissioning research, hosting conferences, supporting education and acting as a candid friend

Strategic Plan

Against the background of regional sustainable development challenges, we have identified four specific priority areas where we believe we can best make a valuable contribution:

1. Governance
2. Shaping growth
3. Land use and environmental security
4. Community cohesion

Sustainability East’s overarching remit remains to champion sustainable development in the East of England, and activity to deliver this remit effectively is identified as a fifth priority.

Click here to read our strategic plan (PDF)

Projects

Embedding sustainable development in the post SNR landscape

Along with our key partners, Sustainability East is carrying out development work on how the East of England can best embed sustainable development (SD) principles in the transition to the new regional arrangements under the Sub-National Review (SNR). The aim of the project is to develop a consensus about how the region will ensure that SD principles are effectively embedded in (a) new governance structures for the East of England post-SNR and (b) the mechanisms put in place for developing and monitoring the new single regional strategy.

As part of this project a local pilot has focused on a key post SNR proposal - to give local authorities a stronger role in delivering economic development.

The reports from the main and the local project will be available in the early summer of 2009 and published here.

This is an important - and challenging - study, and its findings are likely to be influential in helping to determine the future character of sustainable development policy and delivery in the East of England post SNR

Coastal initiative

Sustainability East is a key partner in the Government Office for the East of England led regional coastal initiative. The coastal initiative is working to enable a range of stakeholders to connect policy and delivery, address common concerns through joined up action, and provide a focus for developing an integrated approach to coastal management.

Sustainability East, on behalf of the initiative, has commissioned SQW Consulting to undertake a 'Governance Study' following a tender process. The contract includes three workshops in the case study areas to consider SQW's findings.

Policy

Sustainability East also produces policy papers on a wide range of sustainable development topics with the aim of influencing key policy makers:

East of England Plan (June 2008)

Sub National Review (September 2008)