A charter for the environment

Abstract

In November 1989, Friends of the Earth published an Environmental Charter; since then it has been adopted, either fully or in principle, by more than half of the local authorities in Scotland. The Charter is a 15-point plan which lists six policy objectives and nine mechanisms for their implementation. It is intended to aid councils in adopting new policies and practices and to encourage them to consider the environment when making policy decisions. The Charter is based on four principles: Freedom of information, Prevention not cure, Polluter pays and Precautionary approach. For a council to adopt the Charter it must make organisational changes. The starting points are the establishment of a cross-departmental body to deal with environmental issues and the commissioning of an Environmental Audit. The Charter need not be restricted to local authorities, it could also be adopted by public bodies and by businesses. However, as the local authority is central to the local community and can also influence the central government, it is the starting point for action. In this paper we discuss the aims of the Charter, its benefits, and the roles which various departments can adopt in implementing it; two of the policies (recycling and energy) are discussed in detail.