Bellagio Principles

Ten principles, agreed in 1996, which can be used as guidelines to measure and assess the progress made toward sustainable development, including the use of sustainability indicators.

The principles can be contextualised for turf management as follows:

1. Guiding vision and goals: Aim to Provide a clear vision Create a well thought out site / pitch management plan;

2. Holistic perspective: Define and assess the wider system, rather than smaller part and consider consequences of planned action; Understand the interconnectedness of activities and their effect on the long-term viability of a grass plant or turf sward;

3. Essential elements: Consider all perspectives: economic contributions to human well-being, for example salaries paid to ground staff; environmental impact on living organisms, especially the wider impact pesticide use and pollution (e.g., whether from vehicle noise or fuel combustion); and social equity (e.g. this may include accessibility and availability of the site / pitch to a wide range of users) within current populations and between current and future generations;

4. Adequate scope: Clarify meaning of length of longevity and encompass local and distant impacts. A broad coverage and depth of time (20 years minimum?) for what might be included within a management plan (Principle 1) and how these may be adequately assessed for impact – both positive and negative.

5. Practical focus: Develop a framework which is practical to implement, with manageable categories, relevant indicators, targets and thresholds. There is little point in creating a comprehensive plan if it is unworkable and with little buy in by many stakeholders, especially staff.

6. Openness: Ensure the process is open and transparent. Try and ensure the approach is not ‘top-down’, but more driven from ‘bottom-up’, otherwise engaging stakeholders pro-actively will be challenging (this links in with Principle 8);

7. Effective communication: Provide a clear understandable message.

8. Broad participation: Actively engage stakeholders – this links with Principle 6.

9. Ongoing assessment: Develop the capacity to undertake routine, ongoing assessments, responding to changing needs as required.
This also links very much to Principles 4 and 5.

10. Institutional capacity: Ensure the organisation has the resources to support and lead the continuing engagement and progress of sustainable development. This shouldn’t be created as a vanity project or to promote a single individual or team, but should be organisation wide, with a clear and understandable vision which links to Principle 1.

Source: Hardi, P. & Zdan, T. (1997), Assessing Sustainable Development: Principles in Practice, International Institute for Sustainable Development.