The Politics of Sustainable Development in the United Kingdom: Difficulties in Transforming Government Policies into Projects at the Grass Root Level

Since 'Sustainable Development' is a relatively new concept, the opportunity exists for both capitalists and socialists through the implementation of their policies, to help bring about a more sustainable future. This book endeavours to answer an old political question namely whether it is socialism or capitalism that can offer the best policies for a sustainable future here in the UK. Sustainable development is of enormous interest to political parties because it attempts to answer the environmental, economic and social concerns of voters. These three areas constantly threaten and impact one another and history has taught us that finding solutions is not easy, yet find them we must. Achieving a balance that adds to the quality of life without causing destruction of the environment has long been a goal of modern man. Whatever way we view the future it is clear that a change in culture is necessary, not only for individuals but also for governments in Europe and across the world who are in the process of conceding to global institutional change. The rapidly increasing and ageing human population, the displacement of large populations due to war and famine, the growing concerns over climate change and the increasing loss of biodiversity should not only worry us it should motivate us to act more sustainably. But what is it that needs to be done differently? This book aims to inform, what I hope will become a much larger debate, on how we find effective solutions to the problems that stand in the way of achieving a sustainable future for us all.