Commissioner Invites Leading Environmentalist to Meet Minister for Talks on Sustainability Law

Renowned sustainable development commentator and environmental campaigner, Jonathon Porritt, will be in Cardiff today (Monday 24 September) to participate in discussions on the Welsh Government’s proposals to introduce sustainability legislation in Wales.

At the invitation of Commissioner for Sustainable Futures, Peter Davies, the WWF-UK Ambassador will meet with John Griffiths A.M., Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Assembly Members from the Environment & Sustainability Committee and Cynnal Cymru’s new CEO, David Fitzpatrick, as Welsh Government develops its Sustainable Development Bill.

Joining key representatives from public, private and the third sector, Mr Porritt will participate in discussions on global examples of sustainable development governance, building on the findings of the Rio+20 global conference.

Speaking about his visit Jonathon Porritt said:

“Wales has put itself in a position to demonstrate to people what real leadership on sustainable development looks like – at a time when people are crying out for policies which create jobs and generate wealth whilst simultaneously protecting the environment and addressing the challenge of accelerating climate change. It’s an exciting opportunity – and needs to be seized urgently and with real political purpose.”

The discussions have been organised by Wales’ sustainable development organisation Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales to strengthen sustainable development dialogue and raise awareness of the global effort to tackle climate change. Central to the conversation is the global view of sustainable development.  International sustainable development organisation, Stakeholder Forum, will lead the conversation about outcomes from Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (attended by the Minister and Commissioner for Sustainable Futures in June 2012) and the global sustainable development goals and regulations.

Environment Minister, John Griffiths said:

"I am very pleased to be able to discuss Wales' ground breaking proposals for Sustainable Development legislation with a respected campaigner such as Jonathon.

"As a Government we are committed to putting sustainable development at the heart of everything we do. In practice this means making decisions that are based on what is best for the long term future of Wales rather than short term fixes. Our proposals for an SD Bill are all about using legislation to strengthen our commitment to a sustainable Wales. We believe this will set a clear direction for helping us build a Wales, and a public sector to promote economic, social and environmental wellbeing and enhance people's quality of life in Wales both now and in the future."

“It is testament to the profile of work around sustainability in Wales,” added David Fitzpatrick, CEO of Cynnal Cymru, “that we can now attract speakers of international standing to help increase our understanding of the issues and ensure we learn from best practice elsewhere.”

Related Links: About the proposed Sustainable Development Bill