"The UK is making progress on achieving a better quality of life through sustainable development, but we all still have a lot to do."

This was the key message from Achieving a better quality of life, the Government's third annual report on sustainable development in the UK, which was launched on the 24th of February by Defra Secretary of State Margaret Beckett.

The Prime Minister and Jonathon Porritt, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), spoke at the launch.

..click on the following links to read the Prime Minister and Margaret Beckett's speeches or read the report...

The formal acknowledgement of the scale and scope of our inter-connected social and environmental problems is undoubtedly an important first step, and real progress...

Earth-Info.Net would however like to see more funds, mechanisms, targets + timelines included in government plans in order for us to accelerate progress towards more sustainable development...

There are still very few short-term deadlines for action, too many sustainable development targets are modest, voluntary or under-funded / unfunded, available technologies are not being fully exploited and perverse subsidies continue to distort markets in a number of economically + environmentally damaging ways.