Sustainble Development

In order to preserve our resources, environmentalists use the concept of sustainable development-sustainable development is a development that satisfies our current needs without compromising the future availability of natural resources, or our future quality of life. Our consumption rates have risen significantly higher; according to the World Watch Institute, and their article The State of Consumption Today, the rate has gone up thirty-five percent, and we are now ecologically at risk. Nevertheless, who can we blame but

“Many current discussions about sustainability focus on the ways in which human activity...can be maintained in the future without exhausting all of our current resources… there has been a close correlation between the growth of human society and environmental degradation - as communities grow, the environment often declines” (603).

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 ).

Concerns about the relation between economic growth and development, and environmental issues have been emerging, including the discussion whether fundamental changes in society is required to realize long-term environmental sustainability. Several measures have been introduced in order to address climate change; on the other hand, the extent to which climate change has changed the way we understand economic growth and development is controversial. This essay will argue that climate change has changed the way we understand economic growth and development to a limiting extent with the following underpinnings; powerful economic institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have not taken environmental issues into

Sustainable development, when applied to the development of a system, creates complexity for the stakeholders involved in and affected by that development. To delve this complexity, solid definitions must be proposed for development and sustainable development in order for a framework to be established through which these complexities can be understood. Furthermore, these definitions are necessary evils for explorations of the intricacies of sustainable development due to the various paradigms used to define “development” and “sustainable development.” One definition of development, and the one that will be utilized within this report, is the, “utilizing resources to advance the complexity of a whole society.” From this, a definition of

In the 1987 Bruntland report, researchers defined sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” (Our Common Future 1987). This definition receives some criticism by scientists

I was introduced to the term ‘Sustainable Development’ at an early age. Nevertheless, it was only after experiencing, first-hand, the devastating effects of the Chennai floods of 2015, did I discern its true meaning and its momentousness. Intensified by climate change, the traditional monsoon rains wreaked havoc, and coupled with the obstruction of natural waterways, thanks to unregulated urbanization, caused the complete inundation of a major industrial hub(Chennai). Mired in poverty, a substantial percentage of the population lost its belongings to the turbulent waters and had a hard time recovering from the disaster. Clearly, there is a problem with this sort of mindless development, whose sole purpose is economic growth. Developing and

During the industrial boom, humans began pulling in as many resources as they could and expanding humanity to the farthest reaches of the planet. With no more room nor reasons to expand, humans have now entered a new era of stagnancy. So why, after all this time, do we keep the same policies and ideologies of development and resource grabbing as we did during industrialization? Sustainable Development, according to the International Institute of Sustainable Development’s website, is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs”(2015). It is a proactive method to guarantee the survival of future generations. It hasn’t quite been a worry until late, when man realized just how much power they have over the wellbeing of the planet. Global warming and the unsustainable views of achievement has led to an unseen conflict of modern day man against an unseen, yet dangerous ticking time bomb. Mankind is making large strides in developing our cities and technology , but its excessive rate of growth puts future generations at risk of extinction; therefore, changing the world community 's thought process, communication strategies and pushing education may preemptively save future generations(Semicolon).

Great change is necessary in our society and in business organisations if we and the natural world are to live sustainably. We have started to change but it is slow and intermittent. Some sections of business are started to embrace sustainable development with its three pillers : economic social and environmental. I think we are in danger of loosing the original emphasis on the ecological part on ecologically sustainable development by refering to the phenomenon as sustainable development. One of the justifications for sustainable development appears to be that we can sustain growth in sales and profits and not significantly impinge on the natural environment.

At the time it was written, The Limits to Growth (TLTG) was groundbreaking in its modeling, analysis and subsequent predictions of future trends. It is a policy paper pushing for sustainable development, coupled with technological modernisation. This essay will examine TLTG through an ecocentric lens. First, this paper will briefly summarise ecocentrism. Second, it will discuss TLTG and its findings in a contemporary context. It will be argued that TLTG ultimately failed in its ambition, because it utilised a discourse system that did not address key systematic causes of resource depletion. TLTG recognises human’s overconsumption and disregard for the Earth’s finite resources as a cause of exponential growth. However, it very much focuses on the survival of people rather than the Earth’s intrinsic value. An ecocentric perspective argues that each fragment of the Earth has an intangible value and should be treated accordingly; a concept that TLTG does not address.

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

Policymakers must consider a new development paradigm because it concerns public welfare. Future generations must be taken into account when creating these developments within the paradigm. Not only should the paradigm consider the interdependence of economic, social, and environmental dimensions, but also human needs must be met without compromising the future generation’s quality of life.

Traditionally economic development has been seen as the target, and the environment as the tool through the use of resources. Economic prosperity is a very important element of sustainable development; it allows to combat poverty, to finance remediation of old burdens, to make changes in our development, etc. However, not all economic growth implies improvement for sustainable development. Only economic growth at reduced environmental impact can be defended as being part of sustainable development. In other words,

This is the type of change in attitudes and beliefs that we would like to

The concept of sustainable development was introduced by the publication of the Brundland report having a basis of meeting the needs of the current situation while considering the upcoming generations in meeting their needs too (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). While the concept is true, achievement of the sustainable development has no clear and definite route (Becker, Jahn, Stiess, & Wehling, 1997; Walker & Kubisch, 2008).