IntroductionIn recent years, the concept of Sustainable Development has come to the forefront of world politics. With the threat of climate change, plus the worries of poverty and starvation, efforts are being made to improve lives both for the present population and the future. This essay will analyse Sustainable Development strategies, examining how they are implemented at different levels using examples, and reflect on how well they are performing, using evidence to decide whether the current form of Sustainable Development strategies are the best way of improving lifestyles for the present and the future. Sustainable Development: A DefinitionSustainable Development encompasses three sectors in which development must be made, whilst recognising potential consequences of this development. The first definition of Sustainable Development which included references to all three sectors; social, economic and environment, appeared in the Brundtland report (1987): 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.'It is important to recognise that Sustainable Development refers not only to the future, but also to today. What are Sustainable Development Strategies? Sustainable Development strategies are set nationally, and are based on outcomes of World summits. The latest summit, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), was held in Johannesburg in 2002. These summits are increasingly high profile events and involve world leaders discussing the latest issues with regards to environmental, economically and social development, and devise a set of policies for national governments to adhere to. The policies usually take the form of targets, and each national government sets its own goals, through Sustainable Development strategies. A History of Sustainable Development SummitsThe United Nations (UN) conference on the Human Environment which took place in Stockholm in June 1972 is widely believed to have been he first step towards Sustainable Development. It was the first UN environmental conference and was a pioneering event in that it resulted in a declaration and an action plan on the human environment. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) was established at this congress and it continues to take forward the agenda originally proposed in Stockholm. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 1992Much influenced by The Brundtland Report, Our Common Future (1987), The United Nations Conference of Environment and Development (UNCED) took place in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Informally known as the Earth Summit, it was an unprecedented United Nations (UN) event, in terms of its size and the issues raised. At the time, the outcomes of UNCED was viewed by many as insignificant, but according to The Plain Language Guide (2004), the policies resulting from it were important, as stated on page XXI. 'Though UNCED was seen by some at the time as somewhat disappointing, its outcomes were, nevertheless, significant'There were many major outcomes as a result of UNCED, including the establishment of Agenda 21, a forty chapter action plan for Sustainable Development, so called due to its aims for the 21 st century. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was also established in Rio and its purpose is to monitor and promote the implementation of the outcomes from UNCED. Johannesburg - World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) 2002A decade after UNCED, the first summit devoted to Sustainable Development took place in Johannesburg. Its aims were to build on the issues raised at UNCED, and fill gaps within Agenda 21 which had hindered its implementation. The summit attracted vast interest, with one hundred world leaders attending. The major achievements of the summit included emphasis on the commitment to Agenda 21, emphasising the importance of Sustainable Development in terms of poverty, the environment and natural resources, and the creation of partnerships. These partnerships, between governments, civil society and the private sector, would act as a tool for implementing Sustainable Development. The CSD remained responsible for implementing the policies, despite the negative press it had received. The WSSD found flaws in the CSD, that it had not been functioning as effectively as it could. It recognised that changes were to be made in order to better support the implementation of international Sustainable Development agreements. One of the outcomes of WSSD was the strengthening of CSD, as explained by the United Nations (2004 Pt E) 'An enhanced role of the Commission should include reviewing and monitoring progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and fostering coherence of implementation, initiatives and partnerships.'The CSD now meet every two years to discuss progress, but according to the Ageyo (2003), this may undermine developing countries progress on certain issues such as water and sanitation, due to the fact that it will give them less time to action their policies. 'Members of the Civil Society are concerned about the latest proposal to have the group meet every two years. This they argue will compromise the ability of poorer nations to hold their regional meetings before coming to the global negotiating table.'The UK Government Sustainable Development StrategyFollowing the WSSD, each nation was required to set their own Sustainable Development strategy in order to meet the targets set in Johannesburg. We will focus on the UK government's Sustainable Development Strategy, and review the tools being used to implement it at the local level. Listed below is a list of UK strategies related to Sustainable Development: 1990 This Common Inheritance (Britain's Environmental Strategy)1994 Sustainable Development: The UK Strategy1999 A Better Quality of Life2004 Review of Sustainable Development Strategy2005 Securing the Future: Delivering the UK Sustainable Development StrategyThe latest UK Sustainable Development was reviewed in March 2005, considering changes within the UK and throughout the world. This strategy is to be delivered through the Department for Education, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and their publication: Securing the future: delivering UK Sustainable Development strategy. The aim of the latest strategy is to concentrate on what needs to be done rather than what is being done, in order to implement the policies. Whilst policy is set at national level, the majority of Sustainable Development delivery takes place at the local and regional level. The following section will analyse how Sustainable Development is implemented at the regional level, and examine how well it is being delivered. Implementing Sustainable Development through PoliciesUnder the new strategy, the UK government is committed to implement Sustainable Development into policy making. According to the government's Sustainable Development website (2005), there are five principles in the strategy that must be considered when producing policy: 'We want to produce policies that are appraised against the new principles set out in the strategy: Achieving a sustainable economy. Promoting good governance. Using sound science responsibly. Living with environmental limits. Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society.'Each department within the government is committed to integrating Sustainable Development into their policies by the end of 2005, and the Sustainable Development Programme Board will oversee the implementation of these policies. Implementation at regional levelIn order to implement the UK Strategy, focus has been made at the regional level. This essay will look in particular at the South East England region, and analyse the impact the strategy is having at the local level here. A Better Quality of Life in the South East (2001)This journal was produced in June 2001 by a variety of groups and its aim is to guide the public and advise them as to how they can contribute to making the South East sustainable, as stated on page 3: 'The first Sustainable Development Framework for the South East sets out a vision for the Region and a series of objectives and indicators to guide and help in monitoring the quality of life in our region'The main aim of the Framework is to raise awareness of the need for Sustainable Development in the South East and focuses on cleaner, smarter growth, along with fairer distribution of economic benefits across the region. This would be done through planning and managing the environment. The Framework sets out four main areas; Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone, Effective protection of the environment, Prudent use of natural resources and Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. Within each theme is a table listing objectives and indicators. The journal also contains a section entitled 'How you can help', which gives advice on how to lead a more sustainable life, and how to follow the framework. The Problems with this Framework The Framework gives advice to members of the public stating different ways in which they can contribute to Sustainable Development, but contains no legislation, no policies and no punishments for not adhering to the guide. It is very much a voluntary framework, meaning that people are unlikely to follow it if it harms them financially. How well has the UK strategy delivered? The 1999 Sustainable Development Strategy 'A Better Quality of Life' set out goals to deliver Sustainable Development on all three fronts: economical, environmental and social, and these were measured by a series of indicators. These indicators have allowed progress to be measured since 1999, and have seen the UK's economy continue to flourish. However, some of the other indicators have seen moves in the wrong direction, as stated by Defra (2005 p13): 'In some areas, the indicators have moved in the wrong direction - the amount of waste we generate continues to rise... Reducing the impacts of road traffic remains a significant challenge.'Monitoring the delivery of Sustainable DevelopmentIn order to ensure that the commitments made by the government are kept to, and that the promise to deliver Sustainable Development is met, several bodies have been set up to monitor the delivery of Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Programme Board is a group of government officials who meet periodically; with the aim on ensuring the strategy is delivered accordingly. Other bodied involved in monitoring the delivery of Sustainable Development include the Sustainable Development Task Force, whose aims are to ensure the UK's WSSD commitments are met. IndicatorsAfter the 1999 Sustainable Development Strategy 'A Better Quality of Life' launched, a set of indicators were introduced, with the aim of monitoring the progress made under the strategy. A new set of indicators, known as the UK Framework Indicators have been released, following on from the 2005 strategy; 'Securing the future'. The indicators are based on data for various different aspects, and whilst elements such as Fish stocks, Crime and Economic Output have improved since 1999, other aspects such as Greenhouse Gas emissions, chemical river quality and walking/cycling have declined. How do Sustainable Development strategies contribute to the principles of Sustainability? Sustainable Development strategies outline objectives and policies within a global, national and local context. These policies aim to lead to a sustainable way of living in terms of environmental, social and economical factors. The problems that we have seen so far when analysing both the policies generated at the global level through summits, and the UK Sustainable Development Strategy involve implementation. Whilst the ideas would contribute to sustainability in practise, without adequate enforcement of the policies, they become ineffective due to people and companies reluctance to change their ways. In order to be successful, Sustainable Development strategies should be more brutal in terms of their policies, with drastic change being proposed and punishments issued for those who fail to cooperate. ConclusionSustainable Development strategies have become a forefront of world politics. The WSSD in Johannesburg created vast interest, both within politics, and also within the media. Each nation is given a set of targets with the aim of reducing carbon emissions, reducing world poverty, whilst operating with a flourishing economy. These policies are then converted into Sustainable Development Strategies at the national level, and are implemented at local and regional levels. This essay has examined the UK government's Sustainable Development Strategy, looking in particular at how it is implemented and how successful it has been, whilst revealing how the strategy is managed through bodies such as the Sustainable Development Programme board. Whilst improvements within the UK have been made on some parts, namely economically, other areas struggle to improve, such as greenhouse gas emissions and World Poverty. 