Sustainability

West Sussex is generally seen as a prosperous place with high standards of living, low unemployment, and a high quality environment. Today we are generally more affluent than previous generations, earning and consuming more, travelling further and more easily, and with a greater choice of products and services. However, because of our higher aspirations and standards of living we are causing a number of threats to our quality of life.

Key threats to our quality of life in West Sussex include:

• The impact of changes to our climate.
• Increasing difficulty in dealing with our waste.
• Social exclusion through urban deprivation and rural isolation.
• Lack of affordable housing.
• Loss of natural resources, wildlife, and heritage.
• Un-sustainable building development in the county.
• Increasing volume of traffic.

Individuals, organisations, and communities in West Sussex all have to play their part in creating a better quality of life for future generations by living and working in a sustainable way.

We want to ensure a sustainable future for West Sussex so actions and decisions taken by everyone in West Sussex need to guarantee a better quality of life for everyone now (locally and globally) and for generations to come. To achieve this, the challenge lies in linking local actions with their global effects, bringing about benefits to economies, communities, and the environment at the same time, aiming for solutions that benefit all.

For more information about Sustainability in West Sussex call the sustainability team on 01243 756853, or email wssf@westsussex.gov.uk.