As a result of extensive public consultation, these are the five priorities chosen for Bermuda's Sustainable Development Implementation Plan.

According to Charles Brown, Sustainable Development Unit Director: "All five themes carry equal weight. We don't believe any is more important than the other. All of them are crucial."

Government will have to take each factor into consideration when formulating policies and legislation. Under each theme, there are several specific objectives.

The five areas are:

l Sustaining Our Communities (creating affordable housing, addressing healthcare costs and pensions, social services);

l Living within Our Limits (reducing Bermuda's reliance on fossil fuels, managing the size of our population, water resources, management of waste and sewage, encouraging agriculture);

l Protecting and Enhancing the Environment and Natural Resources (balancing the need for open space with development; enforcement of environmental and planning violations - the creation of an Environmental Enforcement Agency);

l Maintaining a Strong and Inclusive Economy (economic empowerment; diversification);

l Transforming Governance and the Public Sector (making it responsive to our changing needs, with a cross-ministerial commitment to sustainable development).

For more information and to view the Sustainable Development Implementation Plan, go to the web address: www.chartingourcourse.gov.bm