Professional Practice for Sustainable Development [PP4SD], originated from a seminar
held by the Council for Environmental Education and
the Environment Agency in 1998. The purpose of the
day was to establish whether there was support for training
for professionals, which would equip them with the confidence and competence to effectively integrate sustainable
development principles into their working practice.
With unanimous support for the idea, a working
group comprising the Environment Agency, CEE, the Institution
of Environmental Sciences and the Natural Step developed
a proposal for inter-professional learning. The proposal
was submitted to the Environmental Action Fund for grant
aid and was successful.
When the project began in 1999, the first task was to
agree expectations, outcomes and outputs for the first
three years. The idea of producing a Foundation Course
in sustainable development emerged as the path the group
wished to follow. The concept of systems thinking would
underpin the training. Developing the Foundation Course
was a real inter-professional learning process. The process
started with the group producing a Framework to guide activities and the development of two documents; one outlining the business case for CPD in sustainable
development and a second to guide the development of cross
professional learning opportunities and tools. Both documents are available on the Downloads page of this website.
Now in phase two, the original group has changed and
expanded. But the goal remains the same: the integration
of sustainable development principles into professional
training. PP4SD is extending the professional sectors
in which it works and continues to organise cross-professional
events. It has also established a strategic link with
the Sustainability Alliance, a powerful lobbying
body which represents professional institutions on issues
of sustainability.
The current members of the project
management group are:
John Baines (Independent Consultant)
Gayle Burgess (Behaviour Change Director, London Sustainability Exchange)
Dr Jane Claricoates (Professor of Aquaculture and the Environment, University of Swansea)
Adam Donnan (Senior Executive Officer, Institution of Environmental Sciences)
Sarah Ellis (Research Project Leader, Professional Associations Research Network [PARN])
Kerry Geldart (Acting Chief Executive, Society for the Environment)
Annabelle Lillycrop (Senior Stakeholder and Community Relations Adviser, Environment Agency)
Prof. Stephen Martin (Visiting Professor, Open University)
Paul Murray (Associate Professor & Senior Lecturer, Univeristy of Plymouth)
Glenn Strachan (PhD Student, University of Gloucestershire)
Christina Williams (Head of Research, Professional Associations Research Network [PARN])
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