Derby Homes Environmental Policy: Sustainable Development and Environmental Aims | Study notes Sustainable Development

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Environmental Policy

Derby Homes

Foreword

The protection of the environment is critical to us all. We all have a part to play in

reducing our impact and enhancing our natural and built environment. Derby City

Council adopted its Environmental Policy in 1998 to recognise the important role it

can play in helping the environment as one of the largest employers and service

providers in the city. The Council’s revised Environmental Policy takes into account

some of the major changes that have occurred in this area over the last fourteen

years, including the emergence of climate change as the biggest issue we must

address. It outlines how the Council will play its role through improving its own

activities and by working in partnership with others. Derby Homes in this document

agrees to adopt the Council’s policy and to work to an action plan to achieve the

policies aims.

Bob Osler Chair of Derby Homes

Shaun Bennett, Director of Investment and Regeneration

This is Derby Homes Environmental Policy.

Derby Homes recognises that its day-to-day activities have an important impact on

the local and global environment, and that the health and well being of the

environment and ourselves is closely linked. It also acknowledges that it has an

important role to play in raising the awareness and understanding of environmental

issues within the whole of the community. It is committed to working with others to

protect and enhance the environment, especially with the Council and those

organisations that are represented on the city's Local Strategic Partnership, Derby

City Partnership. One of the aims of Derby City Partnership is to develop the city's

Community Strategy that sets out, through the development of specific action plans,

how the long-term vision for the city can be delivered. The action plans developed

help the Council work with others in the city to improve and protect the environment.

A list of key local strategies that will help to deliver the various aims contained in this

revised Environmental Policy can be found on the back page. An electronic version

of the Policy, providing more up-to-date information about the environmental work of

Derby Homes, can be found at www.derbyhomes.org

Introduction

This policy:

· defines what Derby Homes means by sustainable development and how it plans to

help bring this about locally

· commits Derby Homes to improving our environment through its environmental

aims

· outlines how it intends to put these aims into practice

· provides a framework within which to develop more detailed objectives and action

plans.

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Environmental Policy

Derby Homes

Foreword

The protection of the environment is critical to us all. We all have a part to play in reducing our impact and enhancing our natural and built environment. Derby City Council adopted its Environmental Policy in 1998 to recognise the important role it can play in helping the environment as one of the largest employers and service providers in the city. The Council’s revised Environmental Policy takes into account some of the major changes that have occurred in this area over the last fourteen years, including the emergence of climate change as the biggest issue we must address. It outlines how the Council will play its role through improving its own activities and by working in partnership with others. Derby Homes in this document agrees to adopt the Council’s policy and to work to an action plan to achieve the policies aims. Bob Osler Chair of Derby Homes Shaun Bennett, Director of Investment and Regeneration This is Derby Homes Environmental Policy. Derby Homes recognises that its day-to-day activities have an important impact on the local and global environment, and that the health and well being of the environment and ourselves is closely linked. It also acknowledges that it has an important role to play in raising the awareness and understanding of environmental issues within the whole of the community. It is committed to working with others to protect and enhance the environment, especially with the Council and those organisations that are represented on the city's Local Strategic Partnership, Derby City Partnership. One of the aims of Derby City Partnership is to develop the city's Community Strategy that sets out, through the development of specific action plans, how the long-term vision for the city can be delivered. The action plans developed help the Council work with others in the city to improve and protect the environment. A list of key local strategies that will help to deliver the various aims contained in this revised Environmental Policy can be found on the back page. An electronic version of the Policy, providing more up-to-date information about the environmental work of Derby Homes, can be found at www.derbyhomes.org Introduction This policy: · defines what Derby Homes means by sustainable development and how it plans to help bring this about locally · commits Derby Homes to improving our environment through its environmental aims · outlines how it intends to put these aims into practice · provides a framework within which to develop more detailed objectives and action plans.

This Environmental Policy cannot be seen as a stand-alone document where environmental issues are tackled in isolation, but needs to be seen within the bigger picture of sustainable development. The following explanation of this concept is based on the Government's definition, but has been modified slightly to better reflect the aspirations of Derby Homes. ‘Sustainable development’ is about providing a good quality of life for everyone now and for generations to come. Although the idea is simple, the task is substantial. It means meeting four interrelated objectives equally and at the same time, in the UK and the world as a whole... · Social progress that recognises the needs of everyone. This includes a healthy, safe, clean and diverse environment. Everyone should be able to share in the benefits that accompany a good quality of life. · Protection of the environment. We must act to limit global environmental threats such as climate change along with more local pollution problems. We also need to protect and enhance those things that people need or value or that have importance in their own right, such as wildlife, landscapes, pleasing townscapes and historic buildings. · Prudent use of natural resources. This means using non-renewable resources like oil and gas wisely and making sure that we encourage and facilitate the development of alternatives to replace them as a matter of urgency. · Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. This is so everyone can share in good living standards and job opportunities. We must also remember the needs of people in less developed countries. Together with the Council, Derby Homes' Environmental Policy will play a key role in working towards sustainable development, because the health and well-being of our environment is crucial for providing us all with a good quality of life, both today and for the years to come. Sustainable Development 'Our overall goal is to protect and enhance the environment while sustaining it for future generations. We will do this by working in partnership with others to continually improve our environmental performance.'

1. Climate change Derby Homes will continue to raise awareness of the existence and causes of global warming and promote ways of mitigating and adapting to its effects. We will consider the implications of climate change on our strategies, plans and activities and encourage strategies that support the reduction of greenhouse gases. 2. Natural resources Derby Homes will promote the importance of conserving fossil fuels and peat and the sustainable use of resources such as water and timber. It will also adopt water and energy waste reduction measures and take into account natural resource considerations when procuring goods and services. 3. Transport Derby Homes will promote the reduction of motor vehicle journeys within the city and encourage more sustainable modes of transport, such as walking, cycling, rail and bus travel.. 4. Natural environment Derby Homes will protect and enhance our natural environment and protect our geological heritage. It will improve the extent, quality and variety of wildlife and will seek to reflect these aims in strategies adopted by, or relevant to, the city. It will also

· aim to meet or exceed all its statutory environmental responsibilities and encourage other organisations to do the same · avoid or minimise the risk of damage to our environment by employing safe technologies and operating procedures · encourage the adoption of the international environmental management systems standard, IS014001, to help provide a systematic approach to improve the environmental performance of the Council · work through the Derby Homes procurement strategy to make sure that contractors and suppliers are aware of the environmental commitments outlined in this document and encourage them to adopt equivalent standards · work corporately across Derby Homes to make sure that this Policy is clearly understood by its Board members and employees and is put into practice in everything it does · provide a range of environmental awareness-raising initiatives for all its employees. It will arrange specific training programmes and initiatives for key officers and Board members to keep them informed of important developments · work in partnership to identify and address key environmental issues at local, regional, national and international levels · encourage and assist the people of Derby to take responsibility for their own activities and enhance our local environment by providing appropriate environmental advice and information. More specifically, the following measures will be employed to make sure that Derby Homescontinues to make significant progress in this area: · it will produce a publicly available annual review, which will describe the progress that has been made against each of the 11 aims outlined in this Policy · it will review this document in three years from the date of its adoption, or together with the Council when it next reviews its policy, in order to keep abreast of the changing nature of environmental issues. If you are unable to view any of the documents and would like to see a hard copy, please contact Shaun Bennett Director of Investment and Regeneration tel: 013 32

Derby Homes Environmental Policy: Sustainable Development and Environmental Aims, Study notes of Sustainable Development

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Partial preview of the text

Download Derby Homes Environmental Policy: Sustainable Development and Environmental Aims and more Study notes Sustainable Development in PDF only on Docsity!

Environmental Policy

Derby Homes

Foreword