Responsibility today, sustainability tomorrow

Today, a considerable number of people will meet to review the final draft of Malta's proposed National Strategy for Sustainable Development, before it is finalised by the National Commission for Sustainable Development and presented to Cabinet.

Sustainable development is about economic, social and environmental objectives dovetailing into a common vision of the future. It has not been easy trying to get all the players in these diverse fields to come together and agree on a wide-ranging strategy, but the National Commission for Sustainable Development has attempted just that. Composed of members from the academia, environmental and social non-government organisations, and government ministries and agencies, the role of this statutory body is to advise the government on sustainable development policy. This strategy is its major deliverance.

One of the ways that the commission has sought to build consensus around a common vision is by involving as many people as possible in writing the strategy. Besides the commission itself, with its diverse composition, numerous public meetings were held over the past 18 months to collect feedback on the first draft of the strategy. These meetings were often sector specific, addressing the needs of agriculture, energy and transport, women, youth and unions, among others. In order to listen also to people who would not normally come to national consultation meetings, focus groups were also run with small groups of people such as MCAST students, young mothers and local band club members.

While the strategy proposed by the commission contains sections for economic, social and environmental themes, it also tries to focus on the glue that will bring the kind of joined-up thinking needed to deliver sustainable development patterns for Malta. That is why it speaks of crosscutting matters such as integrated planning, education for sustainable development, public participation in decision-making, the use of economic instruments to deliver environmentally-friendly consumption patterns, gender issues, monitoring and follow-up, sustainable agriculture and tourism, climate change, and energy efficiency.

A central concern of the commission is that there should be a strong focus, in the strategy, on implementation. Hence it includes a set of priorities, with their own targets and specific monitoring indicators to measure progress on a regular basis. It also includes proposals for a permanent structure, to implement and then revise the strategy. Importantly, an action plan is to be prepared to convert the strategic vision in the strategy into concrete measures, actions, timeframes and costings.

Yet, the cornerstone of the strategy's message is that we need to change our lifestyles. To keep what gives us our quality of life today for the coming decades and for the lifetimes of our children and their children, we need to act responsibly now. To retain acceptable levels of air and water quality, of natural areas, of cleanliness, of employment, of social safety nets, we need to act responsibly today.

And it can't only be the government that changes. Society, both individually and collectively, in all groups, associations, unions and organisations, be they voluntary or profit-making, needs to look at where it can take up its share of the burden. Acting together with goodwill we can bring about change; acting at cross-purposes will only make the transition longer and, therefore, more difficult in the long run, as the world changes faster than we can adapt.

This strategy aims to provide a road map for such a transition in order to promote responsibility today, thus guaranteeing sustainability tomorrow.

Mr Pullicino is Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment