"We will ensure that all future development is environmentally sustainable" John Prescott, Foreword to the Sustainable Communities Plan, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2003)

 

The concept of sustainable development helps us to think about the wider costs and benefits of the choices we make - the total impact upon the community, economy and the environment.

 

Urban regeneration and new developments have a key role to play in meeting the Government's sustainable development objectives: social progress which meets the needs of everyone; effective protection of the environment; prudent use of natural resources; and maintaining high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. It is vital that development activity within Leicester contributes towards these objectives.

 

Award-winning Queens Building, De Montfort University, Leicester, demonstrates sustainable building and building process practices.

 

Increasingly, emphasis is placed on the 'business case' for sustainable development. A mixture of legislative pressure, market forces, investor concern and client demand has led to more favourable conditions in which to take on board this concept. Companies will increasingly have to identify and report on their environmental and social impacts whilst meeting the far-reaching implications of issues such as climate change.