Sustainable development
The goal of sustainable development is to enable people to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. We help business to contribute to this agenda.
BIS incorporates sustainable development into its competitiveness and better regulation work, by taking an integrated approach to product regulation. We work to promote this agenda by:
- Promoting Government's sustainable development and waste strategies, within BIS and to stakeholders; leading and co-ordinating within Government on the related policy of corporate responsibility and minimising the impact of certain products on the environment.
- Providing a centre of expertise on the negotiation, transportation and administration of European harmonisation legislation which sets out the EU Single Market requirements for end of life treatment, restrictions on the use of environmentally damaging substances, environmental performance, product safety and product performance.
- Minimising the impact of certain products on the environment- e.g. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE); Hazardous Substances in Electrical & Electronic Equipment (RoHS); packaging; energy using products (EuP); spent batteries and accumulators and end-of-life vehicles. Monitoring of Environmental Regulation particularly on water and air quality, and UK's Pollution Control Legislation. For further information, please visit www.bis.gov.uk
Sustainable Development Action Plan (PDF, 1.1 Mb)
Contact us at: sustainability@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Latest News
For the latest Government activity on sustainable development, click here
What is sustainable development?
Enabling everyone to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations. That means:
- Living within environmental limits (limiting climate change and protecting limited natural resources)
- Stimulating strong, healthy communities and a just society
- Building a strong stable economy
Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet which can not be sustained. The Stern Report (external link) made clear that the cost of inaction will be far higher than the cost of tackling climate change now.
Government must lead by example:
- Reducing our own impact on the environment
- Sustainable procurement of the £150 billion worth of goods and services bought every year by the public sector
- Influence through our energy and trade policy role and contacts with business and consumers.
Carbon Budgets
The Climate Change Act 2008 established a long-term framework to tackle climate change. The Act aims to encourage the transition to a low-carbon economy in the UK through unilateral legally binding emissions reduction targets. This means a reduction of at least 34 percent in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and at least 80 percent by 2050. Introducing these carbon budgets now will ensure we meet the targets for 2050 and beyond.
In July 2009, DECC published the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan (LCTP), set out a pilot system of departmental carbon budgets, dividing responsibility for managing UK emissions between every central Government department. These reflect firstly a share of the major economic sectors (Homes and Communities, Transport, Agriculture, Waste, Power and Workplaces and Jobs), reflecting departments’ relative influence in each of them, and secondly the emissions from each department’s own estate.
In March 2010, all Government departments published Carbon Reduction Delivery Plans which set out departmental policies and activities which could lead to a reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from its relevant sectors.
BIS Carbon Reduction Delivery Plan (PDF, 438 Kb)
Climate Change Adaptation
In common with those published by other Departments. BIS’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan sets out how we will begin to address to address the challenges of the impacts of climate change. The opening chapters consider the UK Climate Change Projections launched in 2009 and how we will engage with Defra and the Defra-led "Adapting to Climate Change Programme" during 2010/11 to develop the evidence base to translate climate change projections into tangible risks and opportunities. We will also consider BIS’s role in a Government–wide strategy for adaptation, and specific actions linked to adaptation measures and the impact of climate change on business clusters.
A key role for BIS will be to engage with business and organisations on adaptation and to facilitate the provision of up-to-date information that will help businesses to embed adaptation considerations into their decision making process and develop their adaptive capacity. The planned governance structure for adaptation in this Plan aims to build adaptation capability and understanding across the wider department, which will in turn improve how effectively we engage with business and stakeholders on climate change. We will work closely with other government departments, the RDAs and other delivery partners to ensure we get the messages on adaptation out to business, institutions and within our own estate.
In March 2010, BIS published its Climate Change Adaptation Plan which sets out policies and activities. To find out more, please see the attached document.
BIS Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PDF, 499 Kb)
Corporate Responsibility
Corporate Responsibility can be defined as how companies address the social, environmental and economic impacts of their operations and so help to meet BIS’s sustainable development goals. BIS has a role in coordinating Corporate Responsibility (CR) activities across Government. (Also referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)).
BIS's 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report (PDF) was produced with the cooperation of other Government Departments across Whitehall.
The Government has a role in setting standards in areas such as environmental protection, health and safety and employment rights. It can also provide a policy and institutional framework that stimulates companies to raise their performance beyond minimum.
The UK Government approach is to encourage and incentivise the adoption of Corporate Responsibility, through best practice guidance, and where appropriate, regulation and fiscal incentives.
Specifically, we see CR as the voluntary actions that business can take, over and above compliance with minimum legal requirements, to address both its own competitive interests and the interests of wider society.
Contact us: cr@bis.gov.uk
BIS has been involved in the following CR-related projects:
- Skills for CR practice
- The business case for CR
- Raising awareness
- Support for Small and Medium sized businesses
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Activity
BIS's goal is to create the conditions for business success and help the UK to respond to the challenge of globalisation. Our work involves helping people and companies become more productive by promoting enterprise, innovation and creativity by:
- Championing UK business at home and abroad
- Investing heavily in world class science and technology
- Protecting the rights of working people and consumers
- Standing up for fair and open markets in the UK, Europe and the world.
The UK Sustainable Development Strategy commits all government departments to produce sustainable development action plans.
BIS Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) (PDF)
BIS has been involved in the following CR-related projects:
- Skills for CR practice
- The business case for CR
- Raising awareness
- Support for Small and Medium sized businesses
Information on Other Government Departments CR activities can be found by visiting their websites or by going to Direct Gov website
www.direct.gov.uk
ISO 26000 - Social Responsibility
ISO 26000, from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), covers voluntary guidance on social responsibility. It is intended to be a worldwide standard and is aimed at both public and private organisations. It will inform participating organisations how to operate in a socially responsible way, and will be a distillation of international experience of what social responsibility means in practice.
The standard is being developed to be consistent with other relevant declarations and conventions from the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The standard will cover terms and definitions; social responsibility principles; core guidance on social responsibility; and guidance on implementation. The standard has been in development since 2003/4 and is expected to be published by Autumn 2010.
Further information on ISO 26000 can be found at www.iso.org/sr
