Sustainable development is a term coined by the Bruntland Commission in 1987. It means development which uses resources in a way that meets our needs now without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
It has three principles:
- staying within environmental limits
- achieving sustainable economic growth
- social cohesion and social justice
The historic environment is the key to achieving sustainable development because:
- it is a finite resource and needs to be conserved to benefit everyone now and in the future
- it contributes to our sense of national, local and community identity and can support community cohesion through providing a sense of place
- it provides character and distinctiveness
- it can support regeneration through the delivery of housing, economic growth and education and skills
- the retention and reuse of historic buildings is inherently sustainable because of their embodied energy
- our older settlements have a compact layout with a mix of employment, residential, retail and leisure uses which reduces the need for travel
For these reasons it can inspire the best modern, sustainable development. English Heritage is committed to the principles of sustainable development in both the work we undertake to help people take care of, value, understand and enjoy the historic environment and in the management of our own estate.
