Sustainable development
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. The term was used by the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."[1]
The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and sociopolitical sustainability.
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About the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development
Mission
The Division for Sustainable Development provides leadership and is an authoritative source of expertise within the United Nations system on sustainable development. It promotes sustainable development as the substantive secretariat to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and through technical cooperation and capacity building at international, regional and national levels. The context for the Division's work is the implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Barbados Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
Goal
- Integration of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in policy-making at international, regional and national levels;
- Wide-spread adoption of an integrated, cross-sectoral and broadly participatory approach to sustainable development;
- Measurable progress in the implementation of the goals and targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
Priority Activities for the Division to Achieve These Goals
- Facilitate intergovernmental negotiations, consensus-building and decision-making through the provision of substantive support to the work of the CSD and other related bodies;
- Provide technical assistance, expert advice and capacity building to support developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to achieve sustainable development;
- Facilitate inter-agency and inter-organizational cooperation, exchange and sharing of information, and catalyze joint activities and partnerships within the United Nations system and with other international organizations, governments and civil society groups in support of sustainable development;
- Promote and facilitate monitoring and evaluation of, and reporting on, the implementation of sustainable development at the national, regional and international levels;
- Undertake in-depth strategic analyses to provide policy advice to the USG/DESA, UN system and intergovernmental fora focusing on cross-cutting and emerging sustainable development issues.
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What is sustainable development? | ||
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The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet. The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day. A widely-used and accepted international definition of sustainable development is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' - Globally we are not even meeting the needs of the present let alone considering the needs of future generations. Unless we start to make real progress toward reconciling these contradictions we face a future that is less certain and less secure. We need to make a decisive move toward more sustainable development. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is in our own long-term best interests. It offers the best hope for the future. Whether at school, in the home or at work, we all have a part to play. Our small everyday actions add up to make a big difference. Find out more about how you can get involved by visiting our advice and support pages. Guiding principles of sustainable developmentThe UK Government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Administration have agreed upon a set of principles that provide a basis for sustainable development policy in the UK. For a policy to be sustainable, it must respect all five principles. View the shared UK principles. UK prioritiesIn terms of focusing our efforts, the UK has identified four priority areas for immediate action, shared across the UK, these are:
The UK Government also recognises that changing behaviour is a cross cutting theme closely linked to all of these priorities. In addition, Securing the Future identifies wellbeing as being at the heart of sustainable development. The principles and approaches are covered in more detail in Securing the Future - the UK Government's sustainable development strategy and the UK Strategic Framework. DirectgovDirectgov is the Government’s main public-facing website bringing together ‘everyday’ information and services in one place. It includes a section on the environment and greener living and sustainable development. |
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What is sustainable development? | ||
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The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet. The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day. A widely-used and accepted international definition of sustainable development is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' - Globally we are not even meeting the needs of the present let alone considering the needs of future generations. Unless we start to make real progress toward reconciling these contradictions we face a future that is less certain and less secure. We need to make a decisive move toward more sustainable development. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is in our own long-term best interests. It offers the best hope for the future. Whether at school, in the home or at work, we all have a part to play. Our small everyday actions add up to make a big difference. Find out more about how you can get involved by visiting our advice and support pages. Guiding principles of sustainable developmentThe UK Government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Administration have agreed upon a set of principles that provide a basis for sustainable development policy in the UK. For a policy to be sustainable, it must respect all five principles. View the shared UK principles. UK prioritiesIn terms of focusing our efforts, the UK has identified four priority areas for immediate action, shared across the UK, these are:
The UK Government also recognises that changing behaviour is a cross cutting theme closely linked to all of these priorities. In addition, Securing the Future identifies wellbeing as being at the heart of sustainable development. The principles and approaches are covered in more detail in Securing the Future - the UK Government's sustainable development strategy and the UK Strategic Framework. DirectgovDirectgov is the Government’s main public-facing website bringing together ‘everyday’ information and services in one place. It includes a section on the environment and greener living and sustainable development. |
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The World Wide Web Virtual Library
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This page is maintained by the Center for Economic and Social Studies on the Environment , located at Université Libre de Bruxelles. If you know of additional sources of information that would be appropriate for this page, or would like to maintain a specialty library, please leave a message.
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OECD Ministers recognise that sustainable development is an overarching goal for their governments and the OECD. OECD countries bear a special responsibility in achieving sustainable development worldwide. OECD activities are overseen by the Annual Meeting of Sustainable Development Experts (AMSDE), who review special projects as well as progress in mainstreaming sustainable development concepts into the overall work of the OECD.
Most OECD activities relate to sustainable development, from climate change analysis to development co-operation to corporate social responsibility. On this website, there are links to a wealth of projects and information which illuminate certain dimensions of sustainable development.
For 2005/06, AMSDE has a specific work programme to carry out. The intent is to bring together OECD experts from different realms to address certain issues. The current work programme includes analysis and a workshop on reforming subsidies which have harmful economic, environmental and social effects. An attempt is being made to identify best practices in national sustainable development strategies in the 30 OECD countries, to be supplemented by a workshop with non-OECD countries, and to measure sustainable development through indicators, accounting approaches and other frameworks.
The OECD works closely with the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) and contributes specifically to activities on education for sustainable development, public/private partnerships for sustainable development and the special themes (which are climate change, energy and industry in 2006/2007).
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OECD Ministers recognise that sustainable development is an overarching goal for their governments and the OECD. OECD countries bear a special responsibility in achieving sustainable development worldwide. OECD activities are overseen by the Annual Meeting of Sustainable Development Experts (AMSDE), who review special projects as well as progress in mainstreaming sustainable development concepts into the overall work of the OECD.
Most OECD activities relate to sustainable development, from climate change analysis to development co-operation to corporate social responsibility. On this website, there are links to a wealth of projects and information which illuminate certain dimensions of sustainable development.
For 2005/06, AMSDE has a specific work programme to carry out. The intent is to bring together OECD experts from different realms to address certain issues. The current work programme includes analysis and a workshop on reforming subsidies which have harmful economic, environmental and social effects. An attempt is being made to identify best practices in national sustainable development strategies in the 30 OECD countries, to be supplemented by a workshop with non-OECD countries, and to measure sustainable development through indicators, accounting approaches and other frameworks.
The OECD works closely with the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) and contributes specifically to activities on education for sustainable development, public/private partnerships for sustainable development and the special themes (which are climate change, energy and industry in 2006/2007).
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Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:[1]
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:
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the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
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the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."
All definitions of sustainable development require that we see the world as a system—a system that connects space; and a system that connects time.
When you think of the world as a system over space, you grow to understand that air pollution from North America affects air quality in Asia, and that pesticides sprayed in Argentina could harm fish stocks off the coast of Australia.
And when you think of the world as a system over time, you start to realize that the decisions our grandparents made about how to farm the land continue to affect agricultural practice today; and the economic policies we endorse today will have an impact on urban poverty when our children are adults.
We also understand that quality of life is a system, too. It's good to be physically healthy, but what if you are poor and don't have access to education? It's good to have a secure income, but what if the air in your part of the world is unclean? And it's good to have freedom of religious expression, but what if you can't feed your family?
The concept of sustainable development is rooted is this sort of systems thinking. It helps us understand ourselves and our world. The problems we face are complex and serious—and we can't address them in the same way we created them. But we can address them.
It's that basic optimism that motivates IISD's staff, associates and board to innovate for a healthy and meaningful future for this planet and its inhabitants.
Click here for an in-depth background on sustainable development.
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The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable. In other words we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing, to the negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet - this cannot be sustained.
The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on for ever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day, more than 800 million are malnourished, and over two and a half billion lack access to adequate sanitation.
A widely-used and accepted international definition of sustainable development is: 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' - Globally we are not even meeting the needs of the present let alone considering the needs of future generations.
Unless we start to make real progress toward reconciling these contradictions, we all, wherever we live, face a future that is less certain and less secure than we in the UK have enjoyed over the past fifty years. We need to make a decisive move toward more sustainable development both because it is the right thing to do - and because it is in our own long-term best interests. It offers the best hope for securing the future.
Extract taken from the UK Sustainable development Government website: www.sustainable-development.gov.uk
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