The Sustainable Development Commission has unveiled its 19 Breakthroughs for the 21st Century – innovative ideas that could transform the UK into a greener society.
The final list of Breakthroughs was compiled from almost 300 suggestions put forward by members of the public, businesses, academics and sustainability professionals.
Groups and individuals behind the 19 selected attended a special event in London on Wednesday, where they met the Prince of Wales and showcased their concepts to 400 high-level community, business, public service and Government representatives. The Breakthroughs have all been developed and tested by experts and many are already in action as pilot schemes, but discussions were held on the most effective ways to expand them nationally.
Among the final 19 ideas are:
* From 'Pre-Pay' to 'Pay-As-You-Save' – Financing home energy efficiency measures through an innovative system where householders pay for improvements through consequent energy savings
* The Royal Bank of Sustainability – Transforming the bank most closely associated with the oil and gas industry – now publicly owned – into one which invest in projects to halt the effects of climate change
* Outdoor experiences for all children in the UK – Reversing the trend of children growing up with no access to the natural environment, to increase their health, confidence and wellbeing, and their understanding of the relationship between their choices and the world around them
* Cap and Share – Suppliers of fossil fuels to buy permits for their greenhouse gas emissions before selling the fuel, with the proceeds shared between all citizens, who have the choice of whether or not to sell their permits
* Algae and carbon capture – Using fast-growing algae to absorb the CO2 given off by the industrial burning of fossil fuels
* Mobilising collective action – Scaling up the active networks and organisations for change blossoming around the UK, including the Transition Towns network, Green Voice, and South London’s Project Dirt.
Other initiatives include a bike giveaway to make cycling the normal choice for journeys under five miles, converting public flower beds into vegetable patches, and introducing ‘personal wellbeing education’ into the school curriculum.
The Sustainable Development Commission also said it wanted to look again at the possibility of a carbon credit card scheme – something that was proposed by then-Environment Secretary David Miliband in 2007 but rejected. It would see everyone in the UK allocated a carbon budget, with the potential to buy extra credits or sell those they opt not to use.
Commission Chair Jonathon Porritt said: “If you look at what is happening with climate change, we are approaching a point where people accept responsibility for their carbon footprint. The idea of a personal carbon credit card just gets you there a bit quicker. I am very keen to see this trialled.”
The Breakthroughs range from community initiatives to schemes requiring major shifts in Government policy, but the Government has said it will look seriously at all the suggestions. Local authorities and business will also be approached to take up some of the ideas.
Porritt said: “Progress on sustainable development, at the national level, has been slow. Yet all over the country, there are people taking action to make their own communities more sustainable, driving forward technological innovations, and pushing the policy agenda with really big ideas.
“Some of the Breakthrough ideas we’ve selected represent cutting-edge innovation and imagination; others are familiar but powerful ideas whose time has come. We wanted to celebrate the hard work behind these ideas, and start a bigger conversation about how the UK can best take these – and a host of other great ideas – forward. We’ve been talking about it for long enough. What we’ve got to do now is make it happen.”
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