Aberdeenshire Council is committed to making Aberdeenshire a better place to live, and we recognise that Aberdeenshire does not stand in isolation, rather the things that we do have wider impacts beyond our boundaries. Photograph courtesy of Ian Doyle
Green living is a responsibility we all must take seriously. The population of our planet is currently over 6.7 billion people , which, if we each take our fair share of land and sea would allow us a little less than 2 hectares per person. However, in Scotland we currently consume 5.35 hectares per person. We need to think about how much of the planet’s resources we consume, and how much of this ends up as waste.
As a Council we are committed to using resources as efficiently as possible. Our Sustainability Charter 2008/12, sets out the direction we will take when we conduct our business, it states that:
We will work to ensure all our actions are sustainable and meet the needs of the current generation of Aberdeenshire’s people without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Through the services we provide we try to make it easier for our residents to follow greener lifestyles. For instance, our Waste Management Service works to provide facilities for recycling and advice on how to reduce waste, while through Planning we seek to ensure that new developments in Aberdeenshire balance a range of factors; environmental, social and economic, to contribute towards a ‘sustainable community’ here in the North East.
We also want to make our own operations as sustainable as possible and in April 2008 the new Sustainability Charter was approved by Committee which is designed to guide the way we work. It sets out an Action Programme to 2012 and sets out our principles of sustainability, namely:
1. Responsible use of natural, built and community resources
We will minimise the use of non-renewable resources like fossil fuels, and use renewable energies within their limits through responsible energy management to reduce waste. All resources will be used as efficiently as possible.
2. The need to care for both present and future generations
We will ensure that long-term and global impacts like greenhouse gases and loss of species have greater weighting than short-term, local effects. Where there is a potential threat to the environment or to communities, the precautionary principle will apply.
3. Achieving a Sustainable Aberdeenshire
The council will support policies to promote social cohesion and a sustainable economy, operating within environmental limits.
4. Evidence Based Decision Making
In accordance with the principles of good governance, we will use sound science to inform our actions. While our decisions making process will be evidence based.
- Sustainability Charter 2008-12 Part 1 (pdf 432 kb)
- Sustainability Charter 2008-12 Part 2 (pdf 461 kb)
- Sustainability Charter 2008-12 Part 3 (pdf 921 kb)
Sustainability Charter Annual Report 2007:
Contact
For more information on green living and sustainability contact:
Anne Laird
Sustainability Co-ordinator
Planning and Environmental Services
Aberdeenshire Council
Woodhill House
Westburn Road
AB16 5GB
Telephone: 01224 665289
E-mail: green.living@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
