Sustainable Development

Science Centre

Sustainable Development Group

The Sustainable Development Group's main role is to deliver advice, recommendations and guidance on mainstreaming sustainability into Council policy and projects across the city.

"Delivering Sustainable Development?? is one of the three guiding principles which form the central, cross-cutting themes that run through and inform, the Council's existing City Plan 2. Work has now commenced on City Plan 3, with input from the Group to ensure the future delivery of sustainable communities which will achieve a reduced ecological footprint, improve health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This is exemplified by the advice provided by the Group on sustainability issues associated with the 2014 Commonwealth Games, particularly, the Athletes Village. The Games will be low in both carbon emissions and waste sent to landfill and will set the benchmark for Glasgow's future environmental standards. In legacy, such standards will provide high quality residential homes, improve air & water quality, expand the City's green network, improve our resource management and promote renewable technologies.

Other significant workstreams for the Sustainable Development Group include:-

Sustainable Glasgow Initiative

This public and private sector partnership will act to make Glasgow one of Europe's most sustainable cities. The Initiative will make a tangible contribution to tackling climate change through reducing Glasgow's carbon emissions by 30% within 10 years. In addition to our general input, the Group leads on the Public Policy workstream to create a more supportive environment for Sustainable Glasgow projects

Climate Change

In December 2010 Glasgow City Council published its first Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan to help combat the affects of a changing climate within the city. The proposed mitigation and adaptation measures will focus on the following:-

  • Raising awareness of the unavoidable impacts of climate change on the Glasgow area;
  • Evaluating the risks associated with climate on the built and natural environment; and
  • improving the Council, its ecosystems and communities resilience to climate change.

pdf icon Local Climate Impacts Profile [3Mb] (LCLIP)

Glasgow has also started to develop the City's Local Climate Impacts Profile. A total of 152 severe weather events have been identified as part of the first phase of our LCLIP investigation. The LCLIP report is now available to the public online.

Covenant of Mayors

In August 2009 Glasgow City Council signed up to the Covenant of Mayors, which commits Member States to curbing their carbon emissions by at least 20% by 2020. Since signing up, the Group has helped the Energy Efficiency Unit prepare the Sustainable Energy Action Plan which both meets this target and contributes to the Sustainable Glasgow objective.

Links:

News Release

If you require further information or assistance please contact

Sustainable Development Group
Land and Environmental Services
Exchange House
231 George Street
Glasgow
G1 1RX

Phone: 0141 287 8685 
Email: Sustainable Development Team