What IS Sustainable Development?
Sustainable Development is a broad concept that includes an array of different issues that require governmental involvement across all departments.
The government's Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) forms part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and their explanation of Sustainable Development probably best explains the concept:
"The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet. The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day.
A widely-used and accepted international definition of sustainable development is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' - globally we are not even meeting the needs of the present let alone considering the needs of future generations.
Unless we start to make real progress toward reconciling these contradictions we face a future that is less certain and less secure. We need to make a decisive move toward more sustainable development. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is in our own long-term best interests. It offers the best hope for the future. Whether at school, in the home or at work, we all have a part to play.
Our small everyday actions add up to make a big difference."
Sustainable Development at glas facades
Our products have been designed to fit in with the sustainable development policy which has been agreed upon between the UK Government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Administration. Between these parties a set of five principles that provide a basis for sustainable development policy in the UK have been agreed upon. One of these key principles is 'Living within Environmental Limits - Respecting the limits of the planet's environment, resources and biodiversity - to improve our environment and ensure that the natural resources needed for life are unimpaired and remain so for future generations'.
- Our window systems use PEFC certified timber from sustainable forests (please refer to our fact sheet 'PEFC Sustainable Timber').
- The external aluminium cladding for our systems is made up from aluminium formed from up to 70% recycled raw material.
- Systems can take triple glazed highly insulating units to give outstanding thermal properties thus saving heating energy.
- Class leading air tightness of the Vision 3000 product can save vast amounts of energy use throughout the life of the window.
- External aluminium cladding increases the life span of the system to well beyond that of a conventional timber window system therefore increasing periods between necessary replacement and subsequent use of more natural resources.
- With the above points in mind, this means our products may be suitable for your proposed Carbon Neutral, Zero Carbon or PassivHaus development.
Of course, the Sustainable Development concept goes much further than just the Vision 3000 product and the substantial energy savings made from it. It also involves how we work within the organisation, how we communicate, how we manage our use of natural resources within every day business transactions and how we offset our carbon footprint by promoting replacement of natural resources. It also means that we have to carefully analyse how what we do now impacts on the quality of people's lives, the economy, society and the environment now and for the future, both in the UK and globally.
We at glas facades firmly believe that a little from everyone adds up to a lot over time, and why not enjoy the benefits and beauty of a quality product during that time!