Our sustainability plan is a strategy that is underway in 2012 to create a vision that will guide us over the next 43 years to Ajax’s centennial anniversary in 2055. It considers our economy, our society/culture, as well as our environment and it will be up to us to ensure that the Ajax we all have chosen to call home thrives as a sustainable community into the future.
What is sustainability?
The most common definition of sustainability comes from Our Common Future (also known as the Brundtland Report): “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainability is important to ensure that we have and will continue to have water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.
What is a sustainability plan?
Frequently referred to as an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (or ICSP), the Ajax sustainability plan will outline goals, themes, actions, and targets for the areas of economy, society/culture, and environment. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities defines a sustainability plan as:
“A sustainable community plan is a plan developed through public consultation that identifies a vision and includes environmental, social, and economic goals and targets for the community. The plan also describes the short-, medium-, and long-term strategies for reaching its goals and targets, and integrates all areas of municipal concern, such as energy use, neighbourhood and transportation planning, and waste and water management.”
A sustainability plan is the roadmap to improving quality of life for all community members.
