Forever Fernie - Integrated Community Sustainability Plan

An Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) consists of a vision, strategic plan and process for creating the future we want for our community.

It is a high-level policy document and participatory process that is comprehensive, community-wide and long-term. An ICSP should be developed by all community partners in order to successfully create the shared future articulated within it.

Integrated community sustainability planning is about transformative change as well as incremental improvements. It is about a new way of thinking, making decisions and collaborating. It’s a long-term process that requires leadership, shared commitment, hard work and sustained effort.

Why Sustainability?

Simply put, living a sustainable lifestyle means living without exhausting any resource. While this certainly has environmental implications, it also applies to finances, health, and the social well-being of the person, family, and community. To live a sustainable life means to:

  • leave the world in a better state for your children and grandchildren;
  • reduce the amount of energy you use;
  • reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions you produce;
  • save money by making better choices; and
  • save the environment by making better choices.

Most people believe living a sustainable life will decrease their quality of life. There are trade-offs, but the idea is to make the best of life today, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Forever Fernie