Debate themes
The South West Debates' themes are important to us all: growth within environmental limits, globalisation, energy issues, a growing ageing and more diverse population and regional leadership.
So what lies behind each theme and what are the key issues and questions that the South West Debates need to grapple with? Follow the links below to see what we've come up with for the five themes. How would you answer them and what would you add or change? Go on, have your say!
We in the UK and the South West are living beyond environmental limits. If everyone in the world were to continue consuming natural resources and generating waste at the rate we do, we'd need three planets to support us. To tackle climate change, we need to reduce our carbon footprint by at least 85% by 2050, with significant progress by 2020.
- What can we do to meet the climate change challenge?
- How can we consume fewer resources and move towards one planet living?
- Are we prepared to take and support tough decisions about our future energy consumption, transport habits and the ways in which land is used?
- How can we turn an environmental threat into economic opportunities for people living and working in the region?
Find out more on the environmental limits debate.
Our population is growing, ageing and increasingly diverse. In the next twenty years, an extra 750,000 people will be living in the South West bringing the total to 6 million by 2028 - one in four of whom will be over 65. People are attracted here for many reasons, not least because we enjoy the highest quality of life of any English region. As our population grows and changes, so will our needs and priorities. We must ensure we are able to take up the challenges this brings, maintaining quality employment, managing growth in a sustainable way and celebrating and learning from our diverse cultural mix.
- How can we make sure population growth is a benefit rather than a threat?
- What is the most sustainable way of managing that growth?
- What are the social, cultural and business implications of an increase in the "healthy elderly" population?
- Do we need to do away with the concept of retirement?
- What are the opportunities and challenges of a more diverse workforce, including migrant workers?
- How does the changing demographic impact on workforce skills needs?
Find out more on the population debate.
Energy is essential in almost every aspect of our lives and for the success of our economy. We all know that we need to use less energy in our products and services and generate more energy from renewable, low-carbon sources. Yet we seem to be impeded by a lack of information about costs and benefits, appropriate incentives, and motivation. We need to take a new look at the way we source and use energy if we want to maintain the region's prosperity.
- How do we reduce our energy demand?
- How do we improve energy efficiency in our buildings and transport networks?
- How can we become a more energy self-sufficient region?
- In which renewable energy sources should we invest?
- What are the business opportunities for the region?
- What lessons can we learn from our European neighbours?
- What are the respective roles of individuals, companies, regional agencies and government in addressing energy challenges?
Find out more on the energy debate.
Economies and cultures, businesses and regions across the world are becoming increasingly connected. Globalisation creates opportunities for South West businesses to access new markets and provides us with greater consumer choice. But with South West export and import activities running well below the national average, there is the risk we will all lose out. Embracing globalisation in a way that brings prosperity to the region in a sustainable and ethical fashion is a significant challenge.
- Where do we as individuals fit within the globalisation debate?
- What are our rights and responsibilities?
- How do our buying habits affect the global marketplace?
- Does it matter that so few South West businesses compete globally?
- Are we too inward looking?
- Can we continue to move goods and people around the world, given the challenge of climate change?
Find out more on the globalisation debate.
In order to meet the economic challenges of the future, we need to ensure that we have leadership - in all spheres of life - that is imaginative, innovative, visionary and responsive to change. Our decision-making and accountability structures need to be fit for new purposes; networking and collaboration will assume a new importance; and sustainability and regional prosperity will have to operate hand in hand. We will have to change how we think, behave and work.
- How can we grow and develop the leaders we need?
- How do we ensure effective leadership at every level?
- How can we maximise opportunities for leadership collaboration across and between different sectors?
- What might effective regional leadership look like as we move further into the 21st century?
Find out more on regional leadership debate.
Last Updated: 6th June 2008
