According to Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, and Chairperson of the World Commission on Environment and Development, ‘Sustainable Development’ is defined as an approach to developing anything that recognizes the need to meet the challenges of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
TheWorld Commission was established by the Secretary General of the UN in 1983, and reported in 1987 (“Our Common Future”, 1987).
However, this definition is open to a wide range of interpretations and does not adequately recognise the intrinsic right of the environment and its living creatures to their own existence, independently of any service they may provide to humankind. That is, this definition is often considered to be far too anthropocentric.
There is a growing awareness nowadays that human beings are not necessarily the centre of creation; as Thomas Berry states: “To preserve the economic viability of the planet must be the first law of economics. To preserve the health of the planet must be the first commitment of the medical profession. To preserve the natural world as the primary revelation of the divine must be the basic concern of religion. To think that humans can benefit by a deleterious exploitation of any phase of the structure or functioning of the Earth is an absurdity. The well-being of the earth is primary. Human well-being is derivative.” (The Universe Story, Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry, p 243).
Sustainable Development is also defined in “Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living”, IUCN/UNEP/WWF (1991) as — “Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the Earth’s supporting eco-systems”.
To monitor the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals, a way of measuring progress is needed. An SDG Indicator is the element that is measured. Example: if the goal is to en...
A complex system that regulates its own performance so that it never gets too far off-balance and can bring itself back into homeostasis.
A system of interactions and actors that, together, create a sustainable and successful service or experience. Service Ecologies often include several companies or organizations th...