|
|
 |
The Santa Monica
Sustainable City Plan is founded on nine guiding
principles that provide the basis from which
effective and sustainable decisions can be made.
- The Concept of Sustainability Guides City Policy
Santa Monica is committed to meeting its existing needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. The long-term impacts of policy choices will be
considered to ensure a sustainable legacy.
- Protection, Preservation, and Restoration of the Natural Environment is a High Priority
of the City
Santa Monica is committed to protecting, preserving and restoring the natural environment. City
decision-making will be guided by a mandate to maximize environmental benefits and reduce or
eliminate negative environmental impacts. The City will lead by example and encourage other
community stakeholders to make a similar commitment to the environment.
- Environmental Quality, Economic Health and Social Equity are Mutually Dependent
Sustainability requires that our collective decisions as a city allow our economy and community
members to continue to thrive without destroying the natural environment upon which we all
depend. A healthy environment is integral to the city’s long-term economic and societal
interests. In achieving a healthy environment, we must ensure that inequitable burdens are not
placed on any one geographic or socioeconomic sector of the population and that the benefits of
a sustainable community are accessible to all members of the community.
- All Decisions Have Implications to the Long-term Sustainability of Santa Monica
The City will ensure that each of its policy decisions and programs are interconnected through
the common bond of sustainability as expressed in these guiding principles. The policy and
decision-making processes of the City will reflect our sustainability objectives. The City
will lead by example and encourage other community stakeholders to use sustainability principles
to guide their decisions and actions.
- Community Awareness, Responsibility, Participation and Education are Key Elements of a
Sustainable Community
All community members, including individual citizens, community-based groups, businesses,
schools and other institutions must be aware of their impacts on the environmental, economic
and social health of Santa Monica, must take responsibility for reducing or eliminating those
impacts, and must take an active part in community efforts to address sustainability concerns.
The City will therefore be a leader in the creation and sponsorship of education opportunities
to support community awareness, responsibility and participation in cooperation with schools,
colleges and other organizations in the community.
- Santa Monica Recognizes Its Linkage with the Regional, National, and Global Community
Local environmental, economic and social issues cannot be separated from their broader context.
This relationship between local issues and regional, national and global issues will be
recognized and acted upon in the City's programs and policies. The City's programs and policies
should therefore be developed as models that can be emulated by other communities. The City will
also act as a strong advocate for the development and implementation of model programs and
innovative approaches by regional, state and federal government that embody the goals of
sustainability.
- Those Sustainability Issues Most Important to the Community Will be Addressed First, and
the Most Cost-Effective Programs and Policies Will be Selected
The financial and human resources which are available to the City are limited. The City and the
community will reevaluate its priorities and its programs and policies annually to ensure that
the best possible investments in the future are being made. The evaluation of a program's
cost-effectiveness will be based on a complete analysis of the associated costs and benefits,
including environmental and social costs and benefits.
- The City is Committed to Procurement Decisions which Minimize Negative Environmental and
Social Impacts
The procurement of products and services by the City and Santa Monica residents, businesses and
institutions results in environmental, social and economic impacts both in this country and in
other areas of the world. The City will develop and abide by an environmentally and socially
responsible procurement policy that emphasizes long-term values and will become a model for
other public as well as private organizations. The City will advocate for and assist other local
agencies, businesses and residents in adopting sustainable purchasing practices.
- Cross-sector Partnerships Are Necessary to Achieve Sustainable Goals
Threats to the long-term sustainability of Santa Monica are multi-sector in their causes and
require multi-sector solutions. Partnerships among the City government, businesses, residents
and all community stakeholders are necessary to achieve a sustainable community.
-
The
Precautionary Principle Provides a
Complimentary Framework to Help Guide
City
Decision-Makers in the Pursuit of
Sustainability
The Precautionary Principle requires a
thorough exploration and careful analysis of
a wide range of alternatives, and a full
cost accounting beyond short-term and
monetary transaction costs. Based on the
best available science, the Precautionary
Principle requires the selection of
alternatives that present the least
potential threat to human health and the
City’s natural systems. Where threats of
serious or irreversible damage to people or
nature exist, lack of full scientific
certainty about cause and effect shall not
be viewed as sufficient reason for the City
to not adopt mitigating measures to prevent
the degradation of the environment or
protect the health of its citizens. Public
participation and an open and transparent
decision making process are critical to
finding and selecting alternatives.
|
|
This page was last modified on
06/26/2008
|
 |
|
|
