Sustainable development

Sustainable development is about enabling people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations and the ability of future generations.

The concept of sustainable development encompasses three key elements, often referred to as the 'three pillars of sustainable development':

• social progress
• environmental protection and prudent use of natural resources
• economic growth and employment considerations

Sustainable Development is about taking a broader, more long-term view of our actions and achieving positive economic, environmental and social objectives all at the same time.

The Food Standards Agency’s remit is to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food, both now and in the future, with a focus on food safety. In doing so, the Agency will take sustainable development into account in all of its activities and policy decisions.

The Agency is committed to sustainable policies and undertakes to choose the most sustainable policy option. Only in exceptional circumstances will it not do so. In these cases the reasons will be clearly communicated and every effort made to minimise the resulting negative impacts.

The Agency is committed to carbon reduction, energy efficiency and recycling. All activities on the Agency’s estate must comply with departmental and cross-government policies on sustainable development. Delivering a sustainable estate means adopting an approach to our work that respects all three elements of the sustainable development agenda – economic, social and environmental.

The Food Standards Agency's environmental aim is to reduce the environmental impact in all geographical areas of its work and to work towards sustainable development in its operations.

To help achieve this, the Agency has developed an Environmental Management System (EMS).

The scope of the EMS includes all of the main activities of the procurement of goods and services, particularly in the facilities management and utilities areas, but also monitoring of all contracts where sustainability issues can be applied.

The Agency's objectives

• to develop procurement in a way that supports the Agency's environmental and equalities aims
• to develop new methodologies to achieve continual improvement to each area of the Agency's operations, which is determined by its commitment to the promotion of sustainable procurement. This will also include schemes to reduce energy use in Agency buildings, emissions from its vehicle use and the waste it produces from its activities.
• to comply with relevant UK, European and International legal requirements and other requirements that relate to its environmental aspects, the Agency will apply best practise in initiating protocols before legislation becomes obligatory.
• to provide an environmental management system that complies to ISO 14001 will monitor and review the Agency's environmental impacts and set objectives and targets to meet its environmental responsibilities. The Agency will audit its procedures to work towards continual improvement.
• to communicate the implementation and maintenance of its activities and initiatives throughout the Agency and to all its contracted suppliers. It will encourage ownership within its departments and provide advice and support through procurement and contract activity.
• to minimise significant adverse environmental impacts from its new operations and developments through the use of integrated environmental management procedures.
• to encourage its suppliers and contractors to continually improve their own environmental performance to ensure that goods and services, procured for, or on behalf of, the Agency, support its environment policy.

The Agency's environmental objectives and associated targets will be set annually and reviewed against each contract/procurement renewal as appropriate.

To find out more about sustainable development in Agency policy making, contact Shilpa Manek on 020 7276 8410.
Email: shilpa.manek@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

To find out more about sustainable development on the Agency’s estate, contact Aadil Bashir on 020 7276 8001.
Email: aadil.bashir@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk