SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

A Sustainable Marple

Creating an understanding of how we can achieve a sustainable future for our Town and its citizens is now at the heart of the Society`s activities. In partnership with other groups and organisations, we will provide information and advice on the actions we can all take to ensure that the social, economic and environmental development of our community is focussed on sustainable goals.

Why are we doing this?

There`s no longer any debate that we have a climate crisis on our hands. The global impacts of climate change are rapidly intensifying with devastating social, economic and environmental consequences. Prior to the COP 26 conference in Glasgow, the UN Inter- governmental Panel on Climate Change issued a stark warning to the world – “human influence is responsible for unprecedented climate change, and the global effects will be severe.”

Whilst World Governments and Global Corporations remain slow to react, the World's scientists believe that it`s now the actions of ordinary citizens that are most likely to create meaningful change. Essentially, it`s our lifestyles that drive the economy, so if we start to change our behaviour, live more sustainably and demand change from our politicians, they`ll find it increasingly difficult not to respond.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

This requirement needs to be met across the social, economic and environmental areas of our lives. A healthy and sustainable society requires a social fabric in which we all feel valued and have an influence on the decisions that affect our lives; an economy that provides a secure source of livelihood and allows us to cater for our needs in an equitable manner and a natural environment in which the integrity of all ecosystems are restored and are no longer threatened by human activity.

What does a sustainable life look like?

Living more sustainably is mainly about making small changes that collectively have a big impact. It`s  about treading more lightly on the planet by learning to question your behaviour. There`s a cabbage here from Lancashire – why do I need green beans from Kenya? My dad would have mended that – why am I throwing it away? If I`d logged off ten minutes ago, I could have walked here – why am I in a car? Once you start that process it`s surprising where it might take you. The good news is that the internet is awash with Sustainable living websites that will encourage your journey

Update: Where do we go from here?

Discussions are already taking place among various Community groups, about the challenges facing the Town and how we create sustainable solutions. For further information and up to the minute news go to our Latest News page.