ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has released a discussion paper on Triple Bottom Line Assessment for the ACT Government, which proposes that key decisions made by the ACT Government consider sustainability by implementing a triple bottom line assessment framework.

“Public policy consideration of social and environmental factors as well as economic factors is nothing new, but putting triple bottom line (TBL) principles into practice by implementing a detailed and formal assessment framework are increasingly being adopted in both the public and private sector and that is what the ACT Government is now proposing to do.

The primary goal of the TBL framework will be to integrate social, environmental and economic factors into the Territory’s decision-making process by ensuring that decisions are informed by principles of sustainability. Other assessments may include gender, poverty and climate change impacts. The Government has committed to progress a TBL pilot by applying the framework as outlined in the discussion paper to major policy proposals on the Cabinet agenda. The Government will evaluate the pilot after four months and use this, and feedback from the community to finalise an approach by December 2011.

The release of this discussion paper is yet another step in ensuring a more open and transparent Government, and will provide the foundation for the development of sound public policy,” the Chief Minister concluded. Public feedback is being sought on the paper with comments due by 26 August 2011. The discussion paper can be downloaded from the Chief Minister and Cabinet Directorate website at http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/policystrategic/sustainability