Celebrating Sustainability Video

The concept of sustainable development is very widely misunderstood. The most common misperception is that it is exclusively concerned with the environment. Its practitioners and advocates are consequentially all-too-often dismissed as 'tree-huggers' by decision-makers who feel that their interests may be restricted by environmental concerns.

In Northern Ireland, councils are required by law to consider the achievement of sustainable development throughout their functions. Sustainable NI works with all councils to support the delivery of this statutory duty and to share best practice.

This short film showcases some of the exemplary projects undertaken by some of the 26 ‘legacy’ councils and explores how this work has contributed to the pursuit of real economic, social and environmental sustainability. The film will enable councillors to develop a heightened awareness and understanding of the basic tenets of sustainable development. It can be of use to council officers working on sustainable development, providing a resource that may be used for a variety of educative purposes.

In highlighting these outstanding projects, we hope it might stimulate their replication. The project is primarily concerned with improving public understanding of sustainable development by illustrating its benefits for people and the environment. It demonstrates how the environment is the envelope that contains, sustains and provisions the economy, making it possible to enhance human health, wellbeing and quality of life

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