Global Environmental Policy

Global Environmental Policy- Back to the Basics -

What do we do with

Sustainable Development

What is Sustainable Development?

There are over 100 definitions of sustainability and sustainable development, but the best known, of course, is that of the World Commission on Environment and Development:

This suggests that development is sustainable where it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."


Sustainable development implies economic growth and social equity, together with the protection of environmental quality, each reinforcing the other.

The essence of this form of development is a stable relationship between human activities and the natural world, which does not diminish the prospects for future generations to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own.


The term refers to achieving economic and social development in ways that do not exhaust a country's natural resources.

“Sustainable Development is ... a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with the future as well as present needs".


Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable development respects the limited capacity of an ecosystem to absorb the impact of human activities.


SD is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Some people also believe that the concept of sustainable development should include preserving the environment for other species as well as for humans.


Lets have a look at an online feature:

Sustained Voiceshttp://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/voices.html

http://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/voices.html


The key message of sustainability, ultimately,

is about balance in the way we live …


Needs of present

generation

Needs of future

generationsBalance

According to the United Nations, sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Environmentalissues


Socio-Culturalissues

Economic issues

Balance


Improvement of lifestyles

and well-being

Preserving natural resources and ecosystems

Balance

Sustainable development is maintaining a delicate balance between the human need to improve lifestyles and feeling of well-being on one hand, and preserving natural resources and ecosystems, on which we and future generations depend.

Sustainable Development Issues

* Indicators

* Industry

* Information for Decision Making and Participation

* Integrated Decision Making

* International Law

* International Cooperation for Enabling Environment

* Institutional Arrangements

* Land management

* Major Groups

* Mountains

* National Sustainable Development Strategies

* Oceans and Seas

* Poverty

* Sanitation

* Science

* SIDS

* Sustainable tourism

* Agriculture

* Atmosphere

* Biodiversity

* Biotechnology

* Capacity-building

* Climate Change

* Consumption and Production Patterns

* Demographics

* Desertification and Drought

* Disaster Reduction and Management

* Education and Awareness

* Energy

* Finance

* Forests

* Fresh Water

* Health

* Human Settlements

* Technology

* Toxic Chemicals

* Trade and Environment

* Transport

* Waste (Hazardous)

* Waste (Radioactive)

* Waste (Solid)

* Water

Key Milestones of SD

1962 - Rachel Carson and "Silent Spring"

1972 - Rene Dubos and Barbara Ward write "Only One Earth"

1972 - United Nations Conference on Human Environment held in Stockholm

1972 - Club of Rome publishes "Limits to Growth"

1980 - World Conservation Strategy released by IUCN

1987 - UN-sponsored Brundtland Commission released "Our Common Future"

1992 - Rio Summit and Agenda 21

2002 - Johannesburg Summit and Action 21 - Johannesburg Plan of Implementation

Sustainable Development Issues


Timeline http://www.iisd.org/rio+5/timeline/sdtimeline.htm

The 7 Triads of Sustainability

Triad #1: PARTICIPATIONTriad #1: PARTICIPATION

Dialogue

CommunicationCooperation

Participation also includes such issues as solidarity, involvement, value-adding etc.

Triad #2: DECISION-MAKINGTriad #2: DECISION-MAKING

Decision-making also includes such issues as ownership, visioning, flexibility, empowerment, informed consent, community choice etc.

Consensus Building

AwarenessBuilding

Public Reviewand Hearings


Triad #3: PARTNERSHIPTriad #3: PARTNERSHIP

Partnership also includes such issues as credibility, trust, equality etc.

Interdependence

NetworkingClustering


Triad #4: GOVERNANCETriad #4: GOVERNANCE

Governance also includes such issues as empowerment, impartiality, adaptation, responsiveness, representativeness, information disclosure etc.

Transparency

AccountabilityEfficiency


Triad #5: KNOWLEDGE & INFOTriad #5: KNOWLEDGE & INFO

Knowledge and Information also includes such issues as learning, formatting and packaging information, targeting, delivery mechanisms, information sharing, technologies (ICTs) etc.

Appropriateness

AccessibilityTimeliness


Triad #6: CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENTTriad #6: CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

Continual Improvement also includes such issues as capacity building, indicators etc.

Monitoring and Evaluation

NeedsAssessment

Feedback


Triad #7: LIFESTYLESTriad #7: LIFESTYLES

Lifestyles also includes such issues as quality of life, respect, dignity, self-esteem etc.

Behaviour

EthicsValues


Millennium Development Goals

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions.

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

MDGs to SDGs

MillenniumDevelopment

Goals(MDGs)


Goals(SDGs)

(2005-2015) (2015-2025)

Status: coming to an end in 2015. Partial success – many problems remain

Status: Starting next year – a draft set of new goals have been decided.

http://goo.gl/pu5Yo5

List of Proposed SDGs to be attained by 2030

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere 2. End hunger, achieve food security and adequate nutrition for all, and promote

sustainable agriculture 3. Attain healthy life for all at all ages 4. Provide equitable and inclusive quality education and life-long learning opportunities

for all 5. Attain gender equality, empower women and girls everywhere 6. Secure water and sanitation for all for a sustainable world 7. Ensure access to affordable, sustainable, and reliable modern energy services for all 8. Promote strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all 9. Promote sustainable industrialization 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries 11. Build inclusive, safe and sustainable cities and human settlements 12. Promote sustainable consumption and production patterns 13. Promote actions at all levels to address climate change 14. Attain conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas 15. Protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems and halt all biodiversity loss 16. Achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law, effective and capable institutions 17. Strengthen and enhance the means of implementation and global partnership for

sustainable development

Sustainability … its everywhere

So …sustainable development

is at the core of all the three modules

of the matrix

Documents

Global Environmental Policy