sustainability

Some insightful passages from the original Sustainable Development document published by the United Nations in 1987, Our Common Future, the Chairman's foreward:


"When the terms of reference of our Commission were originally being discussed in 1982, there were those who wanted its considerations to be limited to "environmental issues" only. This would have been a grave mistake. The environment does not exist as a sphere separate from human actions, ambitions, and needs, and attempts to defend it in isolation from human concerns have given the very word "environment" a connotation of naivety in some political circles. The word "development" has also been narrowed by some into a very limited focus, along the lines of "what poor nations should do to become richer", and thus again is automatically dismissed by many in the international arena as being a concern of specialists, of those involved in questions of "development assistance". 

But the "environment" is where we all live; and "development" is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The two are inseparable. Further, development issues must be seen as crucial by the political leaders who feel that their countries have reached a plateau towards which other nations must strive. Many of the development paths of the industrialized nations are clearly unsustainable. And the development decisions of these countries, because of their great economic and political power, will have a profound effect upon the ability of all peoples to sustain human progress for generations to come."


And, the opening paragraph,




"A global agenda for change" — this was what the world Commission on Environment and Development was asked to formulate. It was an urgent call by the General Assembly of the United Nations:

  • to propose long—term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development by the year 2000 and beyond:
  • to recommend ways concern for the environment may be translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between countries at different stages of economical and social development and lead to the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives that take account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment, and development;
  • to consider ways and means by which the international community can deal more effectively with environment concerns; and
  • to help define shared perceptions of long—term environmental issues and the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, a long—term agenda for action during the coming decades, and aspirational goals for the world community."

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)