What does an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable economy require?

An economically sustainable region requires:

• An economic and social climate that enables and rewards entrepreneurialism
• Efficient economic, taxation and regulatory frameworks that reward and encourage enterprise
• Diversification of the region's economic base
• A focus on research, innovation and commercialisation
• Attraction and creation of new, sustainable, high-value enterprises
• Employment of more efficient ways of doing existing businesses
• Sustained investment in infrastructure, information and communication technologies and other sectors of the regional economy that are critical enablers of economic development
• Collaboration between the businesses, governments and communities of the region

A socially sustainable economy requires:

• That economic development provides an enhanced quality of life for the region's residents
• That all people in the region are able to share in the benefits of economic development
• Ongoing collaborative efforts are made to address unemployment and underemployment and provide all people with access to meaningful livelihoods
• Education and training for a skilled workforce
• Public awareness of the role of innovation and entrepreneurialism in building a sustainable region

An environmentally sustainable economy requires:

• Sustainable use of renewable resources and efficient use of non-renewable resources
• Minimisation of wastes to air, water and land so as to remain within the capacity of the regional ecosystems to assimilate these wastes
• Minimisation of adverse environmental impacts of development
• Minimisation of disturbance to natural ecosystems and landscapes and preservation of areas of high local and regional significance