The Concept Of Sustainable Development

The most commonly used definition of sustainable development is still that given in the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), i.e. sustainable development is ‘a process to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainable development is therefore about creating a better life for all people in ways that will be as viable in the future as they are at present. In other words, sustainable development is based on principles of sound husbandry of the world’s resources, and on equity in the way those resources are used and in the way in which the benefits obtained from them are distributed (Making Tourism More Sustainable, 2005).

Sustainable development is defined as “Development that meets the needs of the present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (IISD, par. 1 ).

Sustainable development is the improvement that addresses the issues of the present without bargaining the capacity of future eras to address their own issues. It consists of two key ideas:

9. Gould, K and Lewis T 2009 ‘The Paradoxes of Sustainable Development’, in K. A. Gould and T. L. Lewis (eds.), Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology (Oxford University Press, New York), pp. 269–289

Sustainability has been at the forefront of much international policy in the recent years, however how it should be implemented is contested. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a set of guidelines and goals for nations around the world. This however, is telling about the predominant voices on sustainable development where there is a focus on international assistance and management. This section will look at how exactly the international voices interact with the local ones on how sustainable development should actually be achieved in developing countries.

Sustainable development aims to achieve ecological sustainability that meets the needs of the present while not compromising future generations to meet their own needs (lisd.org, 2015). The Sustainable Planning Act of 2009 states that Ecological sustainability “is a balance that integrates protection of ecological processes and natural systems, economic development and maintenance of the cultural, economic, physical and social wellbeing of people and communities” on a local, regional, state and wider level scale (Parliament NSW Gov, 2014).

Sustainable development was first defined in a report by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 and accepted by the UN General Assembly in 1992. It is defined as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ (Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). There are three important elements of sustainable development, social development, environmental protection and economic development. All three elements are necessary in ensuring that development is long term and meets the needs of the people in all parts of life.

Before continuing towards the discussion of the connection between climate change and sustainability, the term ‘sustainable development’ or ‘sustainability’ will be explained first. The term ‘sustainable development’ is relatively similar with the term ‘sustainability’ and both can be interpreted from variety of aspects. Due to the work of World

Today, government agencies, environmentalists, and other environmental stakeholders are concerned with sustainable development. There is increasing pressure on the environment due to high demand for natural resources. According to Sorvari, high population growth and increasing economic activities have led to exploitation of resources at a rate that cannot be sustained by the environment (492). Some of the effects of unsustainable economic activities include environmental pollution, destruction of biodiversity, food shortages, climate change, desertification, and high poverty levels. As natural resource exploitation continues, there is a possibility that the environment may become completely depleted and unable to sustain life. As a result, environmental stakeholders are searching for solutions to promote sustainable economic development. These solutions must be implemented in all economic sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and service sectors.

Sustainable development is a central concept within the environmental frame of thought and closely linked to the problem of global warming. The term sustainable development refers to the use of resources in a sustainable way, namely meeting the need of resources while not depleting them for future generations. The concept of sustainable development contains both needs and limitations, i.e. resources that are needed as well as technological and social limitations in responsible retrieval of those resources (World Commission on Environment and Development, 41).

The progressive degradation of the natural environment that has taken place over the last few decades has led to a reflection on the state of the environment and further directions of development of mankind. The idea of sustainability and sustainable development appeard at the World 's first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. The most widely used definition of sustainable development, after Brundtland Report 1987 state, "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

The concept of sustainable development has become a major topic among intellectuals from various fields. Sustainable development has gone through various changes in its definitions and at present does not have a commonly accepted definition. The origination of the concept of sustainable development is debatable. In 1974 at a conference on Science and Technology for Human Development by the World Council of Churches the concept of a “sustainable society” is believed to have been first noted. This early concept focused on equitable distribution of scarce resources and the need for democratic decision making. In 1980 the currently used term of sustainable development emerged in the

The concept of sustainable development regards the use of human, physical, and financial resources in a manner that is effectively directed only to industrial, commercial and financial areas, but also the infrastructure, education, health, tourism, and so on. Because the development is in the interest not only of the public but also the private sector, it takes account of social and environmental components of development (Therivel & Paridario, 2013).

The most widely quoted definition of sustainable development is the one provided by the Brundtland Report, the report says that “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” ( World Commission on Environment and Development,1987,p.43). According to Wall(1997) and Hunter(1995), two important ingredients are included in this statement: human needs and environmental limitations. For the World Commission, the major objective of development is to satisfy human needs and aspirations for a better quality of life for all people. In other words, sustainable development means long term economic sustainability within a framework of long term ecological sustainability plus

The tradition concept of development has for a considerable period of time been driven by economic considerations. Exploitation of natural resources which leads to environmental degradation motivated by targets of maximum profits has been the norm and little regard has been granted to the side effects of development initiatives. Gradual escalation of awareness and realisation of the range as well as the magnitude of environmental effects of development initiatives led to worldwide discussions on the way forward. Consequently, the concept sustainable development was conceived. However, this concept is perceived to be oxymoron by environmentalists, in other terms it is viewed as a combination of two contradicting terminologies.