Economic Growth = Unsustainable

As a long time advocate of a new model than rids us from this false notion that economic growth = success, I found the following speech interesting:

This House Puts Combating Climate Change Before Economic Growth

Largely preaching to the converted to me, but food for thought nonetheless.

New Government and enhanced Third Sector

Among all the pomp and ceremony, I got the tentative hope that the new government may offer some additional opportunities for social enterprises, charities and co-operatives in delivering public services.  Something that has been sorely lacking over the years.

I just hope that the “enhanced” importance that they are to take on is dully supported by the government in terms of remit and resources and it is not just a good sound bite or an empty promise.

See Queen’s Speech

IEMA Study

Well after a few long weekends over the past year or so I have successfully passed the IEMA Associate Cetificate Course in Environmental Management.

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment course dealt in depth with the three areas of

(i) Environmental Sustainability

(ii) Environmental Legilsation and

(iii) Assessment, Interpretation and Management of Environmental Performance.

This additional training very much complements my previous work around finance, econonmics and social accounting and is very much in line with developing my holistic support to businesses and organisations; where money, society and environment are all addressed and all given the attention that they deserve.

SRDP Summer and Autumn Deadlines

The latest SRDP Rural Priorities Deadlines for the Summer and Autumn Funding Rounds has been announced.  They areas follows:

June 1^st for submit, July 5^th for commit

August 2^nd for submit, September 6^th for commit

For fuller details click here

Any rural micro-business or community group interested in taking forward an application please feel free to contact me for advice.

Fair Trade Fortnight

As may of you may be aware, today marks the start of “Fair Trade Fortnight”.  The theme this year is to swap, i.e. swap your usual purchases for fair trade options.

You will be pleased to know that all my regular working  staples of tea and chocolate are already Fair Trade, but I would encourage you to take a look at your beverages and who is producing them.

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

SRDP Funding

After a rather hectic week, the SRDP RP application deadline has now passed, now it is just a waiting game to see how clients applications get on, fingers crossed!

Of the SRDP application process the following Confucius quote springs to mind: “life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

Happy New Year

Hi all,

Just a quick message to wish all readers a prosperous 2010.  It is sure to be a year with significant changes and development around climate change mitigation and sustainability.  Well lets hope so anyway!

All the Best

Steven

Climate Challenge Fund

The latest awards for the Climate Challenge Fund have just been announced:

CCF Round 6 Awards

As someone who is extremely motivated by the need to improve our understanding of and lessen our adverse impact on the environment I am encouraged to see the plans of these community applications.

If any one has an idea that they think may fit the fund objectives then please get in touch with them, they are very helpful.  At a local Shetland-level I would also be willing to help community group develop bids or thrash about some ideas, no charge of course!!

EFF Grant Awards

The Scottish Government has recently announced the awards from the latest round of the European Fisheries Fund.  Please see:

EFF November Awards

The Scottish Government will now be looking for applications for its next round.

If you are interested in putting in an application and would like some support then please get in touch with me on 01595 830329 or 07917 668871.  As someone who has completed more fisheries applications than he cares to remember, I am well versed in the process, and boast an impressive success rate.

Social Accounting Training

I have just this past week undertaken training in social accounting and audit.  The training was delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy

It covered the three-step process for carrying out social accounting and auditing in organisations and was developed with the input of the Social Audit Network.

Having undertaken various socio-economic impacts in the past and of course my training in environmental management it was interesting to see the different tools advocated by the Social Audit Network.