Hay on Earth 2009 - the context
Participants at the Hay in the Bay workshop, during which the 2008 event was reviewed and 2009 planned, a horizon scan of sustainability events in Wales / UK produced this list:
- 2011 commitment to zero carbon residential housing is a whole lot closer
- There's a National Energy Savings consultation going on Wales' 3% CO2 reduction target, in areas of develoved competence, will be linked to the UK Govt's Climate Committee targets in December
- WAG are playing their part in developing the European Community Renewables strategy
- There's a new ad campaign and media work on climate change
- Wales' new SD scheme, One Wales, One Planet, is out to consultation, with ace facilitator Steve Bather at the controls of the public feedback process.
- There's also consultation on a 70% waste recycling target, and commitment to kerbside waste food collection
- Wales' new Green Jobs Strategy is also out to consultation
- There's also a consultation (you could spend half a lifetime reading these) on Axis 2 of the Rural Development Plan for Wales
- The Sustainable Travel Towns initiative is developing in Wales, to 'rethink the disposition of towns'
- Friends of the Earth's Low Carbon Communities is alive and well, with CO2 reduction targets of 40% by 2020
- WWF's are continuing their excellent work on One Planet Wales, with further projects on food, transport and homes.
- There's a new UNDP cooperation programme between Wales and Uganda
- The Convergence-funded Business Dragons programme is taking shape (with a big need to refocus on real targets and energy security)
- There will be a big Welsh sustainability presence at the Smithsonian Institute's annual Folk Fair in Washington DC in June / July next year.
- TYF will be present to talk through the adventures of sustainability
- The Hay Festival team are starting to organise a UNESCO sustainability festival for 180 countries, due to take place in September 09
- The Wales Transition Network is flourishing with new communities signing up monthly
- There are strong sustainability appraisals in some of the new LDPs, particularly in SE Wales
- Lastly, there's discussion about whether Wales becomes a UN Regional Centre of Expertise on SD
