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Social sustainability in Govt³

Sustainability is defined by the New Zealand government as "Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." It relates to the stability of environmental, economic and social aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment.

The New Zealand Government is leading by example and implementing environmental, economic and social sustainability initiatives across its work programmes. The 49 Govt³ agencies have undertaken a wide variety of environmentally sustainable initiatives, as showcased in the 2006 Govt³ Awards. However, social sustainability, under the framework of Govt³, has been relatively unexplored. A number of public sector departments are working in this area, either across the public sector or for New Zealand as a whole.

What is social sustainability?

Social sustainability encompasses the human aspect of sustainability. It involves ensuring the basic conditions exist for human life to flourish. It can be measured by a society’s:

employment rates
level of poverty
opportunities for education and training
human rights and equal opportunities
levels of crime and social disorder
housing provision and quality.

Social sustainability is also related to the more basic needs of happiness, safety, freedom, dignity and affection. These conditions cannot be met without a healthy and sustainable natural environment and economy.

In a socially sustainable society:

the basic needs for food, shelter, education, work, income, and safe living and working conditions are met
equality is ensured, so that the benefits of development are distributed fairly across society
the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the population is enhanced or at least not impaired
education, creativity and the development of human potential for the whole population is promoted
our cultural and biological heritage is preserved, strengthening our sense of connectedness to our history and environment
conviviality is promoted, with people living together harmoniously and in mutual support of each other
democracy is upheld, supporting citizen participation and involvement.

What actions ensure sustainable work practice in government?

Health of employees

The two most important contributing factors to human health are food and exercise. Some ideas for encouraging healthy eating and exercise include the following.

Food: Provide nutritional food in the workplace; remove highly processed or fast food from cafes or vending machines; create kitchens that enable fresh food to be cooked and processed; employ caterers that use fresh, local foods; educate staff on healthy nutrition and support healthy eating.

Exercise: Provide the opportunity for staff to exercise at work or during work hours (during their breaks); subsidise gym passes; provide Swiss balls for seating; provide bicycle lockers and showers; support staff planning days that include exercise and fresh air; have bike- or walk-to-work breakfasts; have classes educating people about how often to break their sedentary work habits and which exercises they could do at or near their desks; promote using stairs instead of lifts; have a travel policy aimed at reducing car travel; have a work-life balance strategy that increases physical activity for your staff; and promote staff sports teams.

Safety of employees

Provide a work setting where staff are safe from injury and potential contaminants. This includes using non-toxic vegetable inks and office products; providing plants for desks to improve indoor air quality; providing access to fresh air and sunlight; cleaning air-conditioning systems regularly; having supportive cleaning providers who aim to reduce allergens, unsanitary conditions and use natural, non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products; following health and safety procedures; making sure desks and computers are correctly set up for each staff member; monitoring the health and workload of staff; making sure staff know what to do if they have a problem, such as OOS; training staff in safe work practices and self-management; writing functional job descriptions about the demands of a job, as well as traditional job descriptions.

A pleasant and productive work environment

In addition to the measures mentioned above, sustainable building efforts and environmentally sustainable design can increase staff morale and productivity, reduce staff turnover and sick days.

Responsible procurement and contracting

This focuses on specific issues in contracting and procurement services such as low pay and employment equity; good employer best practice in compliance with environmental law, health and safety regulations, human rights and labour laws; influencing the purchase of fair-trade goods; ensuring that those who cut costs by avoiding their legal obligations as employers do not obtain a competitive advantage in bidding for government contracts; and leading operational best practice beyond legislative minima.

The Ministry for Economic Development is leading a project to integrate sustainability into procurement.

Work-life balance

Work-life balance is about the interaction between paid work and other activities, including unpaid work in families and the community, leisure and personal development.

This interaction is largely dependent on workplace policies and aims to create a happy, productive workforce by supporting a healthy life outside work. This can include providing space for breast-feeding and nappy changing, crèches, flexi-time, working from home arrangements and time off for voluntary work.

Find out what Govt³ agencies are doing to promote social sustainability.

Social sustainability in Govt3