A Handbook for Sustainable Development. A companion to BS 8900 'Guidance for managing sustainable development'

This is a companion guide to the British Standard BS 8900 ‘Guidance for Managing Sustainable Development’  published in 2006.

This handbook is written for organizations that are concerned with managing their impact on society and the environment more effectively.

One of the most significant issues businesses face is the need for co-operation and direction in facing the global implications of climate change and diminishing resources. BS  8900, Guidance for managing sustainable development provides a road map to help all organizations work towards sustainable outcomes.

The handbook explores how principle-based standards can work, starting by focusing on outcomes. It focuses on practical examples of how difficult issues involving values, principles and ethics can be addressed, and changes implemented in organizations and businesses, to help enhance organizational performance and success.

This publication also gives an approach to defining a set of criteria or value judgements about what is important, and what practices or activities should be avoided.

Standards such as BS 8900 may also have an increasing role in bridging the gap between statutes or regulations and informal industry codes. This has growing importance, as over-regulation is recognized as counterproductive, so standards have value in facilitating deregulation, buttressing voluntary good practice and providing stakeholder reassurance. Finally, ‘softer’ frameworks, encouraging greater engagement, may also have a role in developing local communities and even in strengthening and maturing our decision-making processes at all levels.