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Building a Sustainable Scotland: Sustainable Development and the Spending Review 2002
ENTERPRISE AND LIFELONG LEARNING
To create a highly skilled, learning, earning, connected Scotland
The Department's eight priority business areas, and their impact on sustainable development, have been subject to external, independent assessment by a team of consultants from Environmental Resources Management. The conclusions were encouraging and indicated that overall these priorities would have a "direct and positive" impact on the majority of the sustainability indicators. The bulk, about 80%, of the Department's spend goes towards skills, education and student support and the audit demonstrates that this emphasis is not incompatible with the aims of sustainability. It also points out action that the Department is happy to put in hand.
Scotland needs a skilled, educated workforce that is equipped to meet the demands of the current labour market. The emphasis placed on skills, training and employability and delivered through programmes such as Modern Apprenticeships, Welfare to Work and Careers Scotland will provide improved access to the labour market, particularly for young people and those at risk of exclusion. By equipping people from a young age to reach their potential and participate fully in a skilled workforce, the consultants believe these initiatives will have a direct impact on building a society which is better equipped to meet its own needs and which contributes more effectively and efficiently to a successful economy. However, the consultants note that further emphasis might be placed on providing training on resource use, waste minimisation and environmental management. The Department is happy to ask the Enterprise Networks to investigate this further and action for the Networks will be considered during the next operating plan cycle.
The consultants believe that supporting further and higher education programmes and students has impacts on a number of sustainable development indicators. Education provision obviously contributes to a participative and skilled workforce which can take up employment opportunities but the establishments themselves are directly involved in developing innovations in green and environmental technologies that can in turn be commercialised e.g. waste treatment, recycling, renewable energies, etc. Education programmes also have a potential role to play as the channels through which awareness of sustainability can be raised and information regarding our impact on the environment can be disseminated. The Department will ask the Funding Councils for advice on taking this forward.
In order to compete in a global environment, Scotland needs a thriving and productive business base. One of the main vehicles for supporting growing business directly through the Department is Regional Selective Assistance. RSA has the benefit, in terms of sustainability, of encouraging employment where there is need for it without travel or relocation. We will examine how applications for RSA for large projects, covering about 60% of the programme spend, could include a requirement to demonstrate planning for resource use.
We recognise that economic growth and commercialisation should not be achieved at the expense of greater use of resources and increased pollution and waste production. The Enterprise Networks are heavily involved in promoting business growth and innovation and will therefore have a role to play in assisting companies to identify the business benefits of more efficient resource use and waste reduction. SEn is already participating in the public/private sector group on industrial symbiosis where these issues are being explored. To help guide action, the Joint Performance Team
1 will consider what performance measures might assess progress in these areas.
In addition, the Department already invests heavily in both renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Enterprise Networks too have a growing interest in these fields. One of the first Intermediary Technology Institutes to be set up will cover energy with a likely focus on renewable energy technology.
The Department recognises that more work needs to be done to mainstream sustainable development and to ensure that the activities it supports do not have an unduly negative impact on the environment. A more planned and proactive approach will enable us to make better assessments in the future.
1 The Joint Performance Team is a joint Scottish Executive and Enterprise Network body. It published a measurement framework for the Enterprise Networks in
Measuring Scotland's progress towards a Smart, Successful Scotland in March 2002.
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