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6. CONCLUSION
Our aim is to seize the business opportunities and
advantages arising from our belief in, and commitment to,
sustainable development. This strategy represents a
wide-ranging and ambitious programme of work in support of
that aim. Its implementation will require commitment from
all parts of the public and private sector through
partnership working. As well as individual businesses, a
number of organisations can support us in achieving these
aims:
Enterprise Networks - Scottish Enterprise
and Highlands & Islands Enterprise have a key role to
play in promoting economic development across Scotland.
They will support sustainable economic growth in pursuit of
A Smart, Successful Scotland, as well as pursuing
the range of activities outlined in this strategy.
Business organisations - Business
organisations can support their members in accessing the
opportunities emerging from developing markets in the newer
'green' industries, and help them reassess their patterns
of consumption, make better use of their resources and
minimise waste. They also play a key role in informing the
design of business support.
Local authorities - Local authorities are
important players in all aspects of local economic
development, including direct support for businesses. They
also have a responsibility to lead by example, embedding
sustainability into procurement procedures and improving
environmental performance in their own operations.
Higher and further education institutions
- Higher and further education institutions have a vital
role to play in equipping the future workforce with the
necessary skills to meet the demands of the 'green' sector.
They are also key to maximising the impact of research and
development in emerging technologies.
Skills organisations - The Sector Skills
Councils can provide a sound understanding of employer
demand for workforce skills and where any gaps or shortages
occur. Through joint working with Futureskills Scotland
they promote a shared knowledge and understanding of labour
market intelligence and how it may be used to identify
opportunities for skills development.
Trade unions - Through their expertise in
developing good workplace practices, trade unions help to
encourage a well-motivated and productive workforce, and
support our policy aims in ensuring that the relevant
training opportunities are available across Scotland. Trade
union representatives also add value to the strategic
discussion through their labour market knowledge, and
company and sectoral intelligence.
Communities Scotland - Housing and
community regeneration can make a significant contribution
to sustainability objectives and Communities Scotland has
an important function to play both in improving the
environmental performance and sustainability of Scotland's
houses and in community regeneration programmes for the
benefit of present and future generations.
Social economy partnerships, voluntary sector
organisations - Social economy partnerships and
voluntary organisations are offering increasing employment
opportunities. Implementation of resource efficiency,
recycling and composting, and waste minimisation measures
will be of critical importance to the sustainability of
this growing sector.
Equality organisations - Equality of
opportunity is closely linked with economic development.
Given our ageing population, Scottish businesses will have
to ensure they recruit from the widest pool of talent
available and are able to meet the needs of a more diverse
customer base if they are to remain competitive. We intend
to work with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the
Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights
Commission and the proposed Commission for Equality and
Human Rights to provide leadership to delivery agents to
ensure we capitalise on the skills of our entire
workforce.
VisitScotland - Tourism is a vitally
important sector of the Scottish economy. The industry has
already taken steps to encourage environmental good
practice with its environmental accreditation scheme, the
Green Tourism Business Scheme.
Forestry Commission Scotland - Forestry
Commission Scotland puts sustainability at the heart of
forestry policies and practices so that the full potential
of Scotland's woodlands as economic, environmental and
social resources are realised. Forestry Commission Scotland
is also represented on the
FREDS Biomass Energy Group.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (
SEPA)
-
SEPA
is an important partner as its main aim is to provide an
efficient and integrated environmental protection system
for Scotland that will both improve the environment and
contribute to Scottish Ministers' goal of sustainable
development.
Waste & Resources Action Programme (
WRAP)
and Remade Scotland - The work
WRAP
and Remade Scotland do is key to the growth of the waste
and recycling sector.
WRAP's
mission is to accelerate resource efficiency by creating
efficient markets for recycled materials and products,
while removing barriers to waste minimisation, reuse and
recycling. Remade Scotland does similar work in that it
seeks to stimulate and strengthen recyclate material
markets in Scotland.
Scottish Executive - We will continue to
support businesses by offering a range of advice services
via Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands
Enterprise, including the new Scottish Manufacturing
Advisory Service. We will also continue to support resource
efficiency through a range of bodies, and provide direct
innovation and investment support to businesses.
This is our green jobs strategy. We have also
published a more detailed implementation plan on our
green jobs strategy website,
www.scotland.gov.uk/greenjobsstrategy
and will track and report progress regularly and will
track and report progress regularly.
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