Sustainable development -
introduction
Definition
Sustainable development
meets the needs of the present
generation without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their needs
Gro Harlem Bruntland,
Report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development : „Our Common Future”, 1987
 Sustainable development is a new paradigm of
development, integrating economic growth, social
development and environmental protection as
interdependent and mutually supportive elements of longterm
development.
 Sustainable development also emphasizes a participatory,
multi-stakeholder approach to policy making and
implementation, mobilizing public and private
resources for development and making use of the
knowledge, skills and energy of all social groups concerned
with the future of the planet and its people.
Munasinghe’s model of SD
Triangle’s angles are three domains
Economic, including: efficiency, growth, stability
Environmental: resilience-biodiversity, natural resources,
pollution prevention
Social: empowerment, social inclusion,
institutions/governance.
Economic dimension
 Go beyond exponential growth and modern consumerism
(homo consumens)
 The modern concept underlying economic sustainability
seeks to maximize the flow of income that could be
generated while at least maintaining the stock of assets (or
capital) which yield this income.
Environmental dimension
 Unlike traditional societies, modern economies have only
recently acknowledged the need to manage scarce natural
resources in a prudent manner – because human welfare
ultimately depends on ecological services.
 Ignoring safe ecological limits will increase the risk of
undermining long-run prospects for development.
Social dimension
 Idea of sustainable development can be applied to all living
beings, including human beings and their environment, both
rural and urban.
 Social development usually refers to improvements in both
individual well-being and the overall social welfare
 Biodiversity can be compared to cultural diversity, both
should be protected in sustainable development.
Until the very basic
needs are satisfied no
higher goal can be
achieved.
Maslow’s pyramid of needs
Triangle’s center
Poverty
Equity
Climate change
Sustainability
Triangle’s sides
Economic & environmental: valuation of environmental
costs, e. g.: environmental offsetting.
Economic & social: intra-generation justice, basic
needs/livelihoods
Social & environmental: inter-generation justice,
values/culture
Milestones
 26.05.1969, report „The problems of human environment”
presented by Secretary-General of the United Nations
UThant
 The most important issues in the report were:
 Degradation of arable areas
 Chaotic urban sprawl
 Biodiversity loss
 Environmental pollution
 Protection of soil, water and atmosphere
 The necessity of taking environment into consideration while
new technologies are being developed
Milestones
 1972 – United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment, Stockholm, also known as the Stockholm
Conference
 first major conference on international environmental issues,
it was a turning point in the development of international
environmental politics, to support international action
United Nation Environmental Programme was
initiated
 For the first time term „sustainable development” was used
 Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment (Stockholm Declaration)
The protection and improvement of the
human environment is a major issue
which affects the well-being of peoples
and economic development throughout
the world; it is the urgent desire of the
peoples of the whole world and the duty
of all Governments (preamble)
Milestones
 1972, „The Limits to Growth”, raport by the Club of Rome
 Its authors were Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jørgen
Randers, andWilliamW. Behrens III.
 It show that resources are finite and can be exhausted within short
time if exponential growth would be continued
 It was the very first report to be known to public, as mass media
played great role in spreading information about it.
 On one hand it was verily an eye-opener and played tremendous
role in showing that resources are finite, but on the other hand it
was definitely too pessimistic.
 It was many time revised
 Systems thinking was one of the methods used to prepare report
Milestones
 1987, Report of theWorld Commission on Environment and
Development: Our Common Future
 Sustainable development was defined as development
that meets the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs
Milestones
 The Brundtland Report was primarily concerned with
securing a global equity, redistributing resources towards
poorer nations whilst encouraging their economic growth.
The report also suggested that equity, growth and
environmental maintenance are simultaneously possible and
that each country is capable of achieving its full economic
potential whilst at the same time enhancing its resource base.
The report also recognised that achieving this equity and
sustainable growth would require technological and social
change.
Milestones
 The report highlighted three fundamental components to
sustainable development: environmental protection,
economic growth and social equity.The environment should
be conserved and our resource base enhanced, by gradually
changing the ways in which we develop and use technologies.
Developing nations must be allowed to meet their basic
needs of employment, food, energy, water and sanitation. If
this is to be done in a sustainable manner, then there is a
definite need for a sustainable level of population. Economic
growth should be revived and developing nations should be
allowed a growth of equal quality to the developed nations.
Milestones
 Earth summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 June to 14 June 1992.
 20 years after Stockholm
 Two important documents:
 Rio declaration on environment and development (27 principles on global
partnership for sustainable development)
 AGENDA 21 – it covered main problems, which sustainable development
tries to fight with, sections:
 Section I: Social and Economic Dimensions
 Section II: Conservation and Management of Resources for Development
 Section III: Strengthening the Role of Major Groups
 Section IV: Means of Implementation
Milestones
Local Agenda 21
 The implementation ofAgenda 21 was intended to involve
action at international, national, regional and local levels.
Some national and state governments have legislated or
advised that local authorities take steps to implement the
plan locally, as recommended in Chapter 28 of the
document.
 Such programmes are often known as 'LocalAgenda 21' or
'LA21'
Milestones
 Rio + 10, Johannesburg,TheWorld Summit on Sustainable
Development,WSSD or Earth Summit 2002
 Agenda 21 was renewed
 The obligation to help fight poverty inAfrica and CentralAsia
was taken
 Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development was
agreed on
 Unfortunately most of this were just declarations and no actions
were taken
Milestones
 Rio+20, 2012
 On 14th - 16th May 2012, the UN Conference on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD) or 'Rio+20' will take place in Rio de Janeiro.
Also referred to as the Rio+20 Earth Summit, due to the initial
conference held in Rio in 1992, the objectives of the Summit are:
 to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development;
 to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable
development and to address new and emerging challenges.
 The Summit will also focus on two specific themes: a green economy in
the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and an
institutional framework for sustainable development.
Ethical dimension
 Many sustainable development principles involve ethical
dimension:
 Social justice
 Equal good distribution
 Fighting poverty
 Care for the Earth
 Raising awareness means also moral education
“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of
charity. It is an act of justice. It is the
protection of a fundamental human right,
the right to dignity and a decent life.”
Nelson Mandela
Development ethics
One of its founders is Denis Goulet who defined Development
Ethics as a field of research that examines the ethical and value
questions related to development theory, planning, and practice
It typically looks at development theories and practice and their
relationships with:
 social justice
 human rights
 basic needs
 theological issues
Development ethics
 bottom of the pyramid is the largest, but poorest socioeconomic
group. In global terms, this is the 2.5 billion
people who live on less than $2.50 per day
 UNDP is designed to support this group
 From Franklin D. Roosevelt to Prahalad
 the poor of today are the middle-class of tomorrow
 Market-specific products
 Micro-credit