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What is Sustainable Development?

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: the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and 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 in 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.

What is an example of sustainable development?

An example of sustainable development is a building made primarily with recycled materials.

'''Sustainable Development lives on because it is useful in selling various policies. Some examples are:'''

1) Restrictions on the use of fossil fuels, under the guise of "saving the climate"

2) Transfers of resources to less developed nations - now justified for climate resons (but of course, quite contrary to resource conservation)

3) Striving for world government and UN sovereignty -- all for "sustainability",

4) Promoting a green energy future, using a solar and wind

5) Advocating negative population growth, etc.

'''Sustainable Development encompasses a vast array of projects. The thing they all have in common is that they are designed to help the local and global community for the long term but still meet the needs of our present generation.'''

When planning a sustainable development project, in order to bring things back on track environmentally, we need to rely more on renewable energy sources like wind power and solar power. They are considered renewable because they are unlimited and don't pollute, unlike fossil fuels, wood, etc. However, sustainable development isn't just about the environment. It also provides steps for action that will create a better future for those of us who live on this planet aside from environmental issues. When you take a look at the bigger picture, sustainable development objectives include three interdependent components:

1) Social issues

2) Economic issues

3) Environmental issues

'''Why is Sustainable Development important? '''

The concept of sustainable development arose from a number of environmental movements in previous decades, but it wasn’t actually defined until 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (also known as the Bruntland Commission). They described sustainable development as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ This definition highlighted the importance of environmental, social and economic factors when considering development. It also emphasised the need for the elevation of poverty and a drive towards greater equality around the world, all within the limits of the planet’s finite resources.

Why is sustainable development important? Since its conception in 1987 the world’s nations have been discussing the need for greater sustainable development in all countries. This need has arisen for the increase in environmental problems as a result of rapid development since the Industrial Revolution. Many of the planet’s ecosystems are degraded, species are threatened and global warming is becoming increasingly apparent. To slow the damage caused by human development, it is essential that our actions become more sustainable.

Within sustainable development there are two main streams, weak and strong sustainability. Weak sustainability refers to the ability of social, economic and cultural values to be substituted for environmental values. It can also be described in terms of the replacement of natural capital with manufactured capital. In contrast strong sustainability does not allow any substitution and requires the maintenance of existing natural capital as manufactured capital cannot perform the necessary functions provided by nature.

Sustainable development is now a requirement of the Kyoto Protocol (KP), an agreement signed and ratified by Australia and another 186 other countries around the world. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), part of the KP, is available to Annex 2 nations and is designed to facilitate sustainable development within new expansion projects. To assist this process Annex 1 countries will share technology and expertise with less developed countries to ensure their development becomes more sustainable. A CDM allows an Annex 1 nation to offset their carbon emissions by providing a more economical option within a less developed State. Common examples of CDM are the installation of scrubbers in power plants that reduce the amount of harmful emissions released into the atmosphere.

References:

http://www.iisd.org/sd/

http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-an-example-of-sustainable-development

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Why_Is_Sustainable_Development_Important

http://www.fwrgroup.com.au/sustainable-development-important.html