June 2005

Securing The Future - By Design

The government's new sustainable development strategy includes a focus on sustainable design amongst a range of measures affecting business. Anticipating these measures could present business opportunities through new funds, skills promotion and clearer information.

The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy launched in March offers an integrated vision along four key themes; sustainable consumption & production; climate change & energy; natural resource protection & environmental enhancement; and sustainable communities & a fairer world. It was developed between DTI and Defra to include views from consultation with business.

According to Defra; "Very few additional regulatory or tax measures are put forward, but there may be upcoming rules around product lifecycles."

Business Perspective

The measures in the strategy affecting business include:

Resource Efficiency: From April a £284m fund from Landfill Tax receipts for the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme enables;

advice on the best ways to reduce impacts via "Envirowise" & "The Carbon Trust",
promotion of Green business and Waste Minimisation Clubs, and,
increased re-use of waste through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme.

Market Transformation: The Market Transformation Programme will expand to encompass new product areas, providing financial incentives to create products that cause less waste. The MTP provides detailed information about the environmental performance of products covering 12 major sectors and 27 product types, also minimum environmental standards and public procurement specifications.

Consumption: Consumer choice will be pursued through an Environment Direct information service for consumers, producers and retailers to explain which products or services are better for the environment, cheaper to run, easier to recycle etc.

Reporting: From April 2005, the Operating and Financial Review (OFR) framework requires large private companies to report on social, environment & community impacts alongside financial performance.

Procurement: Public sector procurement (£13billion purchasing of goods and services) will apply sustainability criteria to suppliers through the supply chain. A business-led sustainable procurement task force will draw up a national action plan on sustainable procurement by 2006.

Regional Development: Business views will feed into Regional Development Agencies' regional economic strategies and sustainable activities will be favoured.

Skills: The DfES Sustainable Development Action Plan and work with Sector Skills councils seeks to raise awareness, engagement and skills in the work place.

Sustainable Design: establishing anew Sustainable Design Forum complements the package of measures targeting producers, retailers and consumers to promote the development, production, purchase and use of better products.

Sustainable Design

Within the Sustainable Development Strategy, measures are designed to engage the supply chain, support procurement and reward innovation.

"Better eco-design is crucial if we are to force the pace of improvements in product

performance and stimulate real step changes. The Government … will promote eco-design as a mainstream element of good design practice."

The new Sustainable Design Forum will bring together expertise to champion and educate in eco-design, and promote best practice tools and approaches. This will run alongside a Materials Innovation and Growth Team and a Sustainable Consumption and Production Business Task Force.

In addition, the DTI will support an eco-design academy. New sector sustainability challenges will be set for trade associations and for leading companies in high impact sectors such as food and construction. The Technology Fund (£150m over the next 3 years) will incorporate sustainable development criteria across all of its products, to help stimulate eco-efficiency improvements.

Success for businesses may depend on their ability to meet growing consumer and supply chain expectations for environmental performance, and to reduce negative impacts of material resource consumption. Businesses that anticipate this and explore the potential for eco-efficient goods and services will recognise the threats and opportunities for their competitiveness.

Product Design for the Environment in the West Midlands

There is already DfE support available within the Autotrain CoDesign scheme for West Midlands manufacturing SMEs in the automotive supply chain.

The " Design and Development for the Environment" programme provides introductory training sessions, development workshops, online training materials and checklists – free for eligible SMEs. A key workshop "CoDesign for the Environment" takes place in Birmingham on 29 June.

The portal promoting and serving participants in the programme may be seen at http://codesign.proenviro.co.uk

If you are interested to discuss how the AutoTrain CoDesign programme in the West Midlands might improve your businesses's capability through a visit, or would like further information, contact Steve Stones at Pro Enviro Ltd.

Related Links