7 June 2012

'Losing Focus on Sustainable Development' - Arts Café event on Tuesday 12th June

The coalition will be accused of reneging on its promise to be the 'Greenest Government yet' at the next Dundee Arts Café event.

Professor Andrea Ross, Chair of Environmental Law at the University of Dundee, will lead a thought-provoking discussion on the place of sustainable development in the current Government's list of priorities at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum on Tuesday, 12th June.

In her talk, entitled 'Losing Focus on Sustainable Development', Professor Ross will examine whether there is a lack of leadership for sustainable development in the UK, and ways of challenging short term thinking while promoting and supporting concern for the Earth's limits.

"In May 2010, the UK Coalition Government set itself the objective of becoming the 'Greenest Government yet' but within two months it announced the disbanding of the Sustainable Development Commission," said Professor Ross.

"By May 2011 it was being accused by 15 diverse organisations of losing its way on environmental issues and the 'green economy'. In May of this year, had still failed to produce a new sustainable development strategy.

"Moreover, while the Government appears fixated on using the term 'sustainable' regularly, it does so with little regard to the long term health of the planet preferring instead to focus on the 'sustainability' of the economy."

Dundee Arts Café is a programme of talks showcasing arts research and developments taking place locally. The series is organised by the Universities of Dundee and Abertay, and Dundee City Council's Leisure & Culture department.

The events enable members of the public to relax and discuss the arts, from English to History, Philosophy to Architecture, and Fine Art to Product Design, with some of the leading names carrying out work in these areas in Dundee.

Each session lasts one hour, and speakers talk passionately about their work for 30 minutes before the floor is opened up to an informal discussion with the audience. All talks take place in The McManus Café, Albert Square, Dundee.

'Losing Focus on Sustainable Development' is the final event in the 2011/12 Dundee Arts Café series. It takes place at 6pm on Tuesday, 12th June, and the event is free and open to all. Limited seating means visitors are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.

For more information about the event and Dundee Arts Cafe please visit www.DundeeArtsCafe.co.uk

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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