We bring together people from the region with relevant experience and expertise across disciplines, to explore issues, challenge current practice, raise awareness, change perceptions, and act as 'critical friend' to regional bodies in the integration of economic, environmental and social policies, with the overall aim of enhancing the quality of life of all who now live or work in the Region and of future generations.

Sustainable development changes for the region

Objectives 2008 - 2011:

In governance:

1. Ensure that sustainable development principles are effectively incorporated in new regional governance structures, and deliver effective and influential scrutiny of key regional plans and strategies
2. Promote sustainable development as a policy making framework
3. Influence effective embedding of sustainable development within Sustainable Community Strategies, Local Area Agreements and Multi Area Agreements

In shaping growth:

4. Challenge current assumptions on the impacts of population growth and the wider growth agenda. Influence the revised Regional Spatial Strategy, Regional Economic Strategy and forthcoming Integrated Regional Strategy to manage growth in line with environmental capacity and social sustainability
5. Lobby for the region's economic direction to be firmly guided by sustainable development principles
6. Challenge how far current transport policies and trends are sustainable and promote alternatives
7. Investigate and promulgate changes to behaviour that enable sustainable growth
8. Lobby for measures of quality of life and sustainability to be incorporated alongside measures of economic performance in assessing regional well-being

In land use and environmental security:

9. Encourage a wider understanding about the role of the natural and built environment in promoting quality and distinctive places, including visions for future sustainable communities
10. Promote better-informed decision-making on sustainable coastal management by identifying barriers and championing solutions
11. Develop and seek consensus on a vision and strategy for renewable energy for the region that takes into account social and environmental as well as economic factors
12. Stimulate a more open debate on biofuels and press for a sustainable outcome, taking into account the full carbon costs of biofuel options
13. Investigate the effects of climate change on the region’s biodiversity and assess current and future measures to safeguard a no net loss scenario, including the management of invasive species in the region
14. Seek wider debate about other environmental security issues facing the region
15. Encourage development of sustainable land / catchment management plans for soil protection, control of surface water flooding, and provision of other ecosystem services

In community cohesion:

16. Investigate and promulgate ways to increase the capability of communities to assess their social and environmental sustainability. Work with partners to develop working examples of effective community engagement for sustainable development
17. Raise awareness amongst regional and local businesses of the impact of their activities on environmental and social sustainability
18. Influence local authorities to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation through responsible citizenship
19. Promote increased understanding by regional policy makers of environmental justice and the scope to redress social exclusion via sustainable development

In championing sustainable development:

20. Support and be a candid friend to regional sustainable development initiatives, including the East of England Climate Change Partnership and Waterwise East
21. Seek to harmonise the objectives of other regional organisations and partnerships in support of sustainable development