As a member of Fingal Development Board I have been pushing for their strategy to focus on the transition to sustainability.
A chairde,

Thanks for the opportunity to put these comments in.

Briefly, my main points at our last meeting were as follows:

The Vision and Strategy should recognise that we are undergoing a transition to a sustainable economy and society.

The role of the Development Board is to facilitate and encourage that transition (as a Local Agenda 21 type process working towards Sustainable Development).

I think there are four areas where the FDB should be involved in this. (They are listed in order, with those most implementable by the Secretariat first and those most reliant on FDB member engagement last.)
1. Data-gathering and analysis with a clear sustainability focus.  This would include use of Ecological Footprint methodology or similar, and the (overlapping) analysis of energy security issues.
2.  Actions to raise awareness (both within and outside FDB) of the challenges we face which will facilitate support for and engagement in actions under 3 and 4 below.
3.Consider and engage with resolving institutional impediments to the various changes which form part of the overall transition.
4. Relevant members of FDB to work to develop actions to facilitate the transition, prioritising  actions to increase food and energy security.

In relation to the data-gathering and analysis, we could consider learning from or working with the likes of Best Foot Forward.

In relation to awareness, Realeyes have been doing sustainability training with Dublin City Council and might be able to assist or advise.  Cultivate have a long record of multi-stakeholder work on transition to sustainability and could help with awareness, training and engagement of interested parties.  Aside from FDB proper, this area of engagement would also probably be of considerable interest to the Community Forum.

Some of the above is also covered in the attached questionnaire response, which also has some additional references and links,

Le meas,

David