FWR Group Sustainability Articles
Definition of sustainable development
Sustainable development was first defined in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development as ‘development that meets the need of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own meeds.’ Sustainable development implies growth, both economically and socially while still protecting and maintaining the natural environment. This requires a balance between human activities and the ecological processes that sustain all life now and into the future.
Since 1987 the concept of sustainable development has been continually expanded to encompass a suite of other principles that provide greater clarification for this initially vague term that was very open to interpretation. Intra- and inter- generational equity, the precautionary principle, triple-bottom line, and carrying capacity are now commonly considered whenever sustainable development is being implemented. These additional principles have allowed development, a term in itself very broad, achieve greater sustainability in its many different forms. The recurring theme in all of these theories is the continued progression of the human race in equilibrium with the planet’s basic ecological support systems.
Intra- and inter- generational equity refers to the equitable sharing of resources among the same generation and between current and future generations. It considers the distribution of economic, social and environmental capital in a fair and just manner between all nations now and in the future. The planet’s current generation should ensure that future generations have the same opportunities and resources available to them.
The precautionary principle was defined in 1992 by the Rio Declaration and promotes a precautionary approach whenever an action may have a negative environmental impact. This requires decision-makers to anticipate harm before it occurs and ensure adequate measures are taken whenever scientific uncertainty exists.
Triple-bottom line theory is the development of the sustainability movement considering environmental, social and economic factors and how these affect all of the stakeholders involved in a decision or action. TBL has been incorporated by many different companies and forms an important part of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.
The addition of the above principles has further clarified sustainable development and allowed it to be implemented across a number of different applications. The actual attainment of sustainable development is still questionable, however governments, businesses and individuals around the globe are embracing sustainability. For the health of the planet and all future generations all development will have to continue to become more sustainable.
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This work by Michael Duggan is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.
