What is Sustainable Development?

The interdependencies of the economic, environmental, and social justice elements of our world require new ways of thinking about things and taking action that will truly create a future where human society and nature coexist with mutual benefit, and where the suffering caused by poverty and natural resource abuse is eliminated.

Sustainable development calls for improving the quality of life for all of the world’s people without increasing the use of our natural resources beyond the earth’s carrying capacity. While sustainable development may require different actions in every region of the world, the efforts to build a truly sustainable way of life require the integration of action in three key areas:

Economic Growth and Equity – Today’s interlinked, global economic systems demand an integrated approach in order to foster responsible long-term growth while ensuring that no nation or community is left behind.

Conserving Natural Resources and the Environment – To conserve our environmental heritage and natural resources for future generations, economically viable solutions must be developed to reduce resource consumption, stop pollution and conserve natural habitats.

Social Development – Throughout the world, people require jobs, food, education, energy, health care, water and sanitation. While addressing these needs, the world community must also ensure that the rich fabric of cultural and social diversity, and the rights of workers, are respected, and that all members of society are empowered to play a role in determining their futures.

Some of the most important challenges facing the world today include:

• Alleviating poverty, especially in rural communities, where the majority of the world’s poor live.
• Improving the ability of all countries, particularly developing countries, to meet the challenges of globalization, including greater capacity building and the transfer of financing and environmentally friendly technologies.
• Promoting responsible consumption and production patterns, to reduce waste and over-reliance on natural resources.
• Ensuring that all people have access to the energy sources needed to improve their lives.
• Reducing environment-related health problems that account for many of the illnesses in the world today.
• Improving access to clean water, to reach those who today must rely on unsafe and unsanitary sources to raise their children and maintain their livelihoods.

From: World Summit on Sustainable Development brochure, 2002