The Sustainable Development Round Table acts as an advisory body to the Government of Bermuda and, through the Sustainable Development Department, makes constructive recommendations to the minister and Cabinet.

This group is appointed by the minister responsible for the Sustainable Development Department — in this case, the Premier.

The round table’s membership is representative of the economic, social and environmental sectors of Bermuda, and all members have a personal commitment to sustainability in Bermuda and the willingness to employ personal and professional knowledge and experience to that end.

Ultimately, this diverse group of individuals is working together to bring issues to the attention of the minister responsible and the public, and to address them through the lens of sustainability to ensure our existing and future quality of life.

This group also connects with relevant organisations and seeks input from the public.

An important component of the SDRT’s work is to engage the community in discussion of issues to enhance awareness and dialogue while seeking to reach sustainable solutions for a range of topics relating to the interconnections of our economy, environment and social sectors.

To this end, the SDRT undertook to create a platform for public debate and discussion on a number of pertinent topics.

For instance, in 2009, the SDRT held meetings with the private sector, public and NGO stakeholders, as well as the public to discuss and assess the state of housing in Bermuda. The information gathered helped to formulate the SDRT position paper on housing, which was submitted to Cabinet.

In 2010, the round table hosted a public panel discussion to explore the potential threat to Bermuda of the BP oil spill.

While the impact of the spill on Bermuda was largely uncertain at the time, the SDRT undertook to create a platform for public discussion on this important topic.

In 2011, the SDRT hosted a public discussion about the critical factors that influence our food supply and its sustainability. This prompted the round table to continue examining the present roles of food security.

Additionally, the round table hosted a community discussion on the importance of strengthening families: the key ingredients required, concerns for families today and practical ways to strengthen families.

The Strong Families Makes Strong Communities brochure compiled much of this information into an accessible format available to the public.

The round table addresses the knock-on effects of issues that affect the quality of life of all Bermudians.

For instance, the SDRT identified strengthening families as a priority area for its work, as it believes the level of family support received by young people, in particular, is related to a number of interconnecting social factors such as academic attainment, participation in the labour market and involvement in positive behaviours.

“Owning a piece of the rock” is a priority for many Bermudian families and is tied to various aspects of life as well.

Securing a healthy home is related to other issues, such as employment opportunities, cost of living, availability of affordable housing, our ageing population and access to open spaces.

Ultimately, this group, the SDRT, understands the interconnectedness of various aspects of our lives and seeks to advise Cabinet on sustainable solutions.

As the people of Bermuda are the key stakeholders of these SDRT initiatives, to ensure a future with no regrets, let us continue to do what we can to participate in the direction of our Island.

• Cara S. Philip is a summer student with the Sustainable Development Department within the Cabinet Office. She is entering her fourth and final year at Oral Roberts University, majoring in global environmental sustainability with a minor in English literature. More information on this and other sustainable development initiatives can be found in the SD Annual Report 2013. You can also visit www.sdbermuda.bm, like the department’s Facebook page, “Sustain Bermuda”, or e-mail sdd@gov.bm.