Conceptualize Sustainable Development

The occurrence of globalization, sustainable development, and the ecological footprint are all seemingly connected in today’s environmental capacities. To further understand these environmental processes, one must divulge into these individual environmental concepts to properly understand their facilitations. Furthermore, according to professor Vamvakas “a major theme of Sustainable development is the alternative to the destruction of the world environment by the economic imperative of globalization” (Vamvakas, 2014).

The most commonly used definition of sustainable development is still that given in the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), i.e. sustainable development is ‘a process to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainable development is therefore about creating a better life for all people in ways that will be as viable in the future as they are at present. In other words, sustainable development is based on principles of sound husbandry of the world’s resources, and on equity in the way those resources are used and in the way in which the benefits obtained from them are distributed (Making Tourism More Sustainable, 2005).

From the day, the first motor vehicle was invented, the inventors did not realize that alcohol would become a problem for drivers. Although people tried taking keys away and designated drivers, fatalities involving drunk drivers continued to rise. With the advancement in technology, there had to be a way to prevent vehicles from being started if a person was under the influence of alcohol. Even though convicted drunk driving offenders already receive fines and jail time, ignition interlocks should be mandatory for all convicted drunk driving offenders because ignition interlocks reduce alcohol-related traffic crashes and ignition interlocks

Put simply, sustainability refers to systems and processes that are able to operate independently over long periods of time (Robertson 2014). Sustainability in terms of development means the maintenance of development over an extended period of time (Elliot 1999). Discussions about sustainability often refer to an idea called the “triple bottom line”, sometimes referred to as the three pillars of sustainability or the “three E’s” (Elkington 2012). The first ‘E’ represents environment and is concerned with the preservation and restoration of the health living systems. The second ‘E’ stands for economy and relates to even distribution of resources over the long term, with each individual being

However, for the purpose of this essay, sustainability will be defined as “the concept of sustainability explores the relationship among economic development, environmental quality, and social equity.” Furthermore, this concept of sustainability has been evolving since 1972, where it was introduced at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. (Smith 2011).

Urbanization, which is becoming a buzzword during the last few decades, is enlarging at a booming speed. It is predicted that 93 percents urban growth will occur to the year 2020, in the developing world (Elliot J.A, 1999). Generally speaking, more than half of the people around the world have been moved to cities, which led to a series of “matters” connected with people’s life that changed in a dramatical way. In this period, sustainable development, another buzzword during the past few years, came into people’s view and gradually became the mainstream of society development. Its definition is to make the development continue in a long term, which means allowing appropriate economic growth and industrialization without

The need to link the economical development with a greater concern about our planet gave birth to a new concept of sustainable development, which identifies a progress compatible with the preservation of the environment and resources for the future generations.

Sustainable development is at the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework of 2012, and is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development includes three key pillars- social, environmental and economic, however in reality these issues often overlap and do not fit directly into one category (Hopwood, Mellor and O’Brien, 2005).

The UN formally defined sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]. Many authors and activists have given their own interpretation of what sustainability means to all of us. In a sense, sustainability refers to the processes and practices that help sustain human life on planet Earth, but the concept of sustainability is broad and applies to many disciplines. In my paper, I will be comparing sustainability from three different viewpoints; Michael Pollen’s, Andres Edwards’, and Vandana Shiva’s, and adding my own personal perspective.

This is an approach towards considering the finite resources of the Earth. Its goal is defined as working towards developing means by which the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.

“Resilient People, Resilient planet” is a report that was released by the United Nations Panel on Global sustainability in January 2012, which encourages sustainable actions. Moreover, this report advises people to use their human rights to pursue sustainability and encourages governments to take the proper initiatives to resolve current day issues. Currently, social issues such as, poverty, deforestation, global hunger, and climate changes are all leading factors of our failing environment. This report along with other sources portray sustainability as a social solution involving human rights and social justice by encouraging people and their governments to pursue a political and social lifestyle influenced by sustainable choices.

Sustainable development is defined as “Development that meets the needs of the present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (IISD, par. 1 ).

What is sustainability? There is a Native American proverb which says: ‘When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realize that one cannot eat money’. Defining sustainability is a challenge itself, achieving it is even more arduous but what it is certain are the consequences of not acting sustainable. For too long the main goal of western countries has been profit, ignoring the long list of benefits deriving from acting sustainable. The sustainability topic offers a wide range of arguments to discuss but in this paper only few of them are reviewed. It will be firstly analysed the ‘three legged stool’ model as a way of conceptualising sustainability and its stability. Secondly the aim is to examine the benefits deriving from businesses’ sustainable behaviour according to the introduction of the ‘triple bottom line’ framework. Conclusions follow.

Of the various definitions for “sustainability” and “sustainable development” put forth by Agyeman, Bullard, and Evans, the most compelling and useful defines one sustainability as “the need to ensure a better quality of life for all, now, and into the future, in a just and equitable manner, while living within the limits of supporting ecosystems (Agyeman et al., p. 2). This definition is particularly suitable to sustainability because it captures its social justice component rather than portraying it as a solely environmental issue. Another key part is the mentioning of intra-generational equity which is crucial because many people fighting for sustainability will not be able to see the fruits of their labor but must still

Sustainability has been at the forefront of much international policy in the recent years, however how it should be implemented is contested. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a set of guidelines and goals for nations around the world. This however, is telling about the predominant voices on sustainable development where there is a focus on international assistance and management. This section will look at how exactly the international voices interact with the local ones on how sustainable development should actually be achieved in developing countries.