THE GOING FOR GREEN INITIATIVE

Going for Green was launched by the UK Government in February 1995. It aims to increase people`s awareness of the part their personal choices can play in delivering sustainable development and to secure their cooperation and commitment to changing their lifestyles so as to reduce their impact on the environment. It is one of three post-Rio initiatives designed to deliver sustainable development in the UK; the other two address the role of Government and other sectors of society. Going for Green has three guiding aims:

• to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and to manage better the use of renewable resources;
• to reduce land, air and water pollution;
• to create, protect and improve local environments.

Going for Green will bring together existing environmental initiatives. it will set goals that are acceptable, affordable, achievable and assessable. It will devise a “green code” to stimulate the dissemination of these ideas through various channels of communication - the media, service providers, retailers and voluntary groups. These programs will be tested and monitored in a number of pilot communities during 1995/96 before being expanded nationwide through the UK over the coming years.

Department of the Environment, UK, 1995