Explanation of sustainable development
The simplest definition of sustainable development comes from the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development conference that was held more than a decade ago. Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” has become the accepted definition of sustainable development.
In 1992, the Earth Summit in Rio was the first summit to review progress made towards the goal of achieving sustainable development. Each of the five world conferences since then has addressed sustainable development in one way or another.
the debate continues
The debate continues as to whether the three elements of sustainability, the environment, economic development and social equity can be combined equally. Many people, especially environmentalists, feel that sustainable development can never be achieved due to the enormous scope of the problem. Despite this negativity, many countries and cities are actively working towards the goal of a sustainable future.
The United States created the Presidents Council on Sustainable Development during the Clinton administration. This council included representatives of environmental organizations, companies and government sectors. They developed policies to promote a growing economy, along with a healthy environment, which is essential to our national and global security.
Everyone seems to agree that it is essential that all groups work together to improve the quality of life on our planet. Efficient ways of using our natural resources, protecting our global commons, managing human settlements, managing our chemicals and waste, and achieving sustainable economic growth must be developed. How this will be achieved is a matter of heated debate.
Caution “SD”
Fortunately, sustainable development is gaining attention. A Google search has returned 23 million instances of the word on the Internet. The term is becoming so well known that it is often abbreviated as “SD.” However, despite its growing popularity, the definition remains unclear and difficult to define.
After the Second World War, four common themes emerged as values that the people of the world want to achieve. These values are peace, freedom, development and the environment. The world summits that have been held since then have taken into account these four common themes and SD has evolved.
The three components, the environmental, economic and social spheres, overlap and no sphere can exist alone. Whether sustainable development is seen as a goal, a concept or a movement, SD is taking hold at international, national, corporate, urban and local levels. Embracing all the components of sustainable development remains a complex issue because everyone has their own idea of what SD is and how it can be achieved.
the future SD
What this simply means is that our activity must not deplete our natural resources faster than they can be replaced. Using our resources faster than they can be naturally replaced will theoretically lead to a situation where the planet is unable to support human life. The end result of this catastrophic failure could result in the extinction of the human race.
So what is sustainable development? The full answer is certainly not clear cut and may never be, but the direction we should be heading in becomes clearer all the time.