THE core purpose of the Scottish Government should be sustainable wellbeing, a forum representing Scotland?s environment campaigners has said.
Scottish Environment Link claims the current pre-occupation with economic growth is ?unduly distorting priorities.?
A new paper ?Helping Scotland to Flourish, the Environment and the Economy? is described as ?a plea for a national consensus on a new goal of government.?
The document is supported by Link member organisations such as Friends of the Earth Scotland, Ramblers Scotland, the Woodland Trust Scotland and Sustrans.
Scottish Environment Link claims a shift of emphasis is required in the Scottish Government?s ?core purpose? to fully account for both society and the natural environment.
Deborah Long, Link?s chair, said people were being told daily how essential it was that economic growth was achieved.
?Perhaps we should be asking if this is the only true measurement of whether we are succeeding as a society.?
Dan Barlow, convener of the Link?s economics forum, said the Scottish Government had identified a broad set of outcomes it was seeking to achieve.
However this was distorted by an over-emphasis on economic growth as the route to achieve its goal.
?Correcting this imbalance will be key if we are to rebuild a thriving economy and support us to live within our financial and ecological means and secure high levels of wellbeing for all.?
Barlow said the Scottish Government?s?National Performance Framework provided a basis for progress on sustainability?but its balanced content had been distorted by an over-emphasis on economic growth.
He added: ?This paper powerfully advocates correcting that imbalance.?
The discussion paper, written by Simon Pepper, a consultant who was formerly a member of the Scottish Government?s Cabinet Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development and Director at WWF Scotland, maintains the Scottish Government, to its credit, was committed to protecting natural assets and using them sustainably.
?But this is poorly reflected in its measures of progress where GDP is still king.?
Tags: TFN 709 - 2 November 2012Source: http://www.thirdforcenews.org.uk/2012/11/wellbeing-a-better-measurement-than-economy/
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