I’m not sure that is it just ‘schizophrenia’ the Coalition is suffering from, perhaps it is a little ‘Wilful Blindness’* too!

This week the Environment Audit Committee warned the Government against schizophrenia in relation to the contradictory policies and announcements around the environment and climate change agenda. The main reference was around talk of reviewing carbon targets – plus there’s George Osborne’s speech last week commenting that carbon cutting measures will not be at the expense of British business, also the potential collision between the results and conclusions from the National Ecosystem Assessment, the core messages on the broader value of ecosystems to society in the Natural Environment White Paper and the draft approach to planning - to mention a few, (and forgetting the recent debacle over forestry).

However, on top of schizophrenia, I think there might be a little wilful blindness too, around that old chestnut largely avoided by politicians - Demand Management. On this subject a real opportunity is being missed by the Coalition. Sustainability in the age of resource constraint and austerity is an opportunity: to change the story and get buy-in all round. The opportunity is to re-frame the environment and climate change agenda into a piece about the future of people and society. On from this, there is the opportunity to re-frame the thorny issue of Demand Management so that people can engage in active choice and behaviour change to ensure that we can all benefit from quality of life and a sustainable future for society.

There are votes in it, there is business in it and most of all, there is a sustainable future in it!

*For the best definition of ‘Wilful Blindness’ read Margaret Heffernan’s book about how we ignore the obvious at our peril.