Living Well Within Our Environment

The preceding sections of the State of the Environment Report show that Victorians are generally living very well, but that this has been at the expense of the environment. This chapter explores some of the essential concepts and mechanisms for change that Victorians need to incorporate into decision making for environmentally sustainable well-being. This Part takes a holistic overview of findings from the State of the Environment Report, noting key vulnerabilities and threats, and the fact that ultimately Victorians’ wellbeing is dependent upon a healthy environment.

The Commissioner’s approach explores the value of visioning and ‘back-casting’ to enable a clearer path for future progress for Victoria.

The Essential Concepts section covers Ecologically Sustainable Use (ESU), decoupling (relative and absolute), shifting baselines and tipping points, and the importance of building the resilience of social and naturals systems to both inevitable and essential change.

The last section covers mechanisms of change. These are tools and approaches that will be essential for the Government to investigate and apply, if Victoria is to move more quickly towards sustainability. Key mechanisms identified are: natural system governance and environmental policy (including Strategic Environmental Assessment), which in turn are essential to support the other key policy tools; economic instruments; technology; and informed consumer behaviour and ethics.

The purpose of Living Well within Our Environment is to challenge traditional thinking that has led to the current governance and economic structures, and which has led to environmental degradation.

Living well within our Environment (PDF - 782 KB)