The Festival aims to create a selection criterion that is inclusive of a diversity of progressive approaches to sustainability.

Over the years the Festival has been focused on combining a programming criterion that recognises both the need to promote full strength sustainability content, with the application of more quickly applied temporary solutions that, while they do not do the whole job, are viewed to be better than no action while waiting for the introduction of full strength solutions.

The useful 'stop-gap' fixes we refer to more politely as 'transitional products, services or systems', refer to content that has the potential to help reduce our footprint while we move rapidly to a sustainable way of life.

There are four core elements to the Festival’s content selection.
Process – facilitating a community driven event, engaging community members in an open programming process
Standards – using Negative screening and Positive search guidelines to set standards
Consultation – gaining advice from community groups, peak bodies and specialists
Feedback – seeking feedback from Festival visitors, exhibitors and presenters

Not surprisingly, when we are tackling the goal of global sustainability, there is on many occasions great complexity and conflict involved. SLF recognises the need for robust dialogue and cooperation in our communities internally and externally. Collaborative interaction between one another is one of the greatest paths we can use to achieve rapid cultural change. SLF sees the Festival as an exciting and challenging opportunity to exercise our creative potential to remake our society.

SLF is actively involved with other groups in a range of activities that aim to establish a better sense of what the destination is (what do we want to sustain?) and assessing the major threats to achieving sustainability. Perhaps then, we will have a clearer picture of the type, and speed of change, required to get us there.