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The UK Government's approach to sustainable development is set out in Securing the Future, the 2005 sustainable development strategy.

Securing the Future sets out the goal of sustainable development as enabling all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.  It sets out five guiding principles which should form the basis for policy and four shared priorities for immediate action.

Guiding principles

1. Living Within Environmental Limits
   Respecting the limit's of the planet's environment, resources and biodiversity - to improve our environment and ensure that the natural resources needed for life are unimpaired and remain so for future generations.
2. Ensuring a Strong, Healthy and Just Society
   Meeting the diverse needs of all people in existing and future communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and inclusion, and creating equal opportunity for all.
3. Achieving a Sustainable Economy
   Building a strong, stable and sustainable economy which provides prosperity and opportunities for all, and in which environmental and social costs fall on those who impose them (polluter pays), and efficient resource use in incentivised.
4. Promoting Good Governance
   Actively promoting effective, participative systems of governance in all levels of society - engaging people's creativity, energy and diversity.
5. Using Sound Science Responsibly
   Ensuring policy is developed and implemented on the basis of strong scientific evidence, while taking into account scientific uncertainty (through the precautionary principle) as well as public attitudes and values.

Shared Priorities

1. Sustainable Consumption and production
   Sustainable consumption and production is about achieving more with less - reducing the inefficient use of resources and breaking the link between economic growth and environmental degradation.
2. Climate change and energy
   To secure a profound change in the way we generate and use energy and in other activities that release greenhouse gases.  To prepare for climate change that cannot now be avoided.  And to set a good example for others to follow.
3. Natural resource protection and environmental enhancement
   We need a better understanding of environmental limits, environmental enhancement and recovery where the environment is most degraded to ensure a decent environment for everyone.
4. Sustainable communities 
   To create sustainable communities that embody the principles of sustainable development at the local level.  Working to give communities more power and say in the decisions that affect them; and working in partnership at the right level to get things done. 

The Government publishes annually progress against the Shared Priorities.