Our aim is to protect and improve the environment, and to integrate the environment with other policies across Government and in international fora. Effective protection of the environment requires activity on many wide-ranging different fronts - for example, from acting to limit global environmental threats (such as global warming) to safeguarding individuals from the effects of poor air quality or toxic chemicals. It is one of the four objectives of sustainable development. Actions to protect the environment also produce benefits such as housing (through improved energy efficiency of buildings), social progress (through action to combat fuel poverty) and economic growth (through more efficient use of resources, such as re-use, recycling and recovery of waste).