Sustainable development
Attempts towards universal sustainable development need to account for the extremely varied challenges, circumstances, and choices that shape prospects and prosperity for all, everywhere.[7] The discourse of sustainable development is highly influential in global and national governance frameworks, though its meaning and operationalization are context-dependent and have evolved over time.In 1713, Hans Carl von Carlowitz, a senior mining administrator in the service of Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony published Sylvicultura economics, a 400-page work on forestry.Building upon the ideas of Evelyn and French minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, von Carlowitz developed the concept of managing forests for sustained yield.[12] His work influenced others, including Alexander von Humboldt and Georg Ludwig Hartig, eventually leading to the development of the science of forestry.Describing the desirable "state of global equilibrium", the authors wrote: "We are searching for a model output that represents a world system that is sustainable without sudden and uncontrolled collapse and capable of satisfying the basic material requirements of all of its people.[22]: 5 In 1992, the UN Conference on Environment and Development published the Earth Charter, which outlines the building of a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century.During the MDG era (year 2000 to 2015), the key objective of sustainable development was poverty reduction to be reached through economic growth and participation in the global trade system.Out of the 17 SDGs, for example, 11 goals contain targets related to equity, equality or inclusion, and SDG 10 is solely devoted to addressing inequality within and among countries.[38] Important operational principles of sustainable development were published by Herman Daly in 1990: renewable resources should provide a sustainable yield (the rate of harvest should not exceed the rate of regeneration); for non-renewable resources there should be equivalent development of renewable substitutes; waste generation should not exceed the assimilative capacity of the environment.It recommended that human civilization will need a transformative change, including sustainable agriculture, reductions in consumption and waste, fishing quotas and collaborative water management.[47] This way of thinking is expressed in the concept of circular economy, which employs reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling to create a closed-loop system, minimizing the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions.[48] The European Commission has adopted an ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan in 2020, which aims at making sustainable products the norm in the EU.[49][50] It has been suggested that because of the rural poverty and overexploitation, environmental resources should be treated as important economic assets, called natural capital.[54] Scientists in many fields have highlighted The Limits to Growth,[55][56] and economists have presented alternatives, for example a 'steady-state economy', to address concerns over the impacts of expanding human development on the planet.[59] Several studies have noted that efficient policies for renewable energy and pollution are compatible with increasing human welfare, eventually reaching a golden-rule[clarification needed] steady state.[60][61][62][63] A meta review in 2002 looked at environmental and economic valuations and found a "lack of concrete understanding of what "sustainability policies" might entail in practice".It has been argued that there is no such thing as sustainable use of a non-renewable resource, since any positive rate of exploitation will eventually lead to the exhaustion of earth's finite stock;[73]: 13 this perspective renders the Industrial Revolution as a whole unsustainable.[74]: 20f [75]: 61–67 [57]: 22f The sustainable development debate is based on the assumption that societies need to manage three types of capital (economic, social, and natural), which may be non-substitutable and whose consumption might be irreversible.The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet"[79][80] – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests.It is defined as education practices that encourage changes in knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to enable a more sustainable and just society for humanity.ESD aims to empower and equip current and future generations to meet their needs using a balanced and integrated approach to sustainable development's economic, social, and environmental dimensions.It seeks to define new ways to adjust to a changing biosphere, as well as engage individuals to address societal issues that come with them [88] In the International Encyclopedia of Education, this approach to education is seen as an attempt to "shift consciousness toward an ethics of life-giving relationships that respects the interconnectedness of man to his natural world" to equip future members of society with environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility to sustainability.It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behaviours and take action for sustainable development.
human developmentplanetary integrityeconomyenvironmentBrundtland Reportsustainabilitynormative conceptUNESCOEarth SummitSustainable Development GoalsUnited Nations General Assemblypovertyclimate changebiodiversity lossoxymoronWorld Commission on Environment and DevelopmentOur Common Futureeconomic developmentenvironmental protectionsocial well-beingdiscoursegovernance frameworksMillennium Development Goalssustainable forest managementJohn Evelynexploitation of natural resourcesHans Carl von CarlowitzFrederick Augustus I of SaxonyJean-Baptiste Colbertsustained yieldAlexander von HumboldtGeorg Ludwig HartigGifford PinchotUS Forest ServiceAldo Leopoldland ethicenvironmental movementRachel CarsonSilent Springenvironmental degradationKenneth E. BouldingSpaceship EarthGarrett Hardintragedy of the commonsLimits to GrowthDennisDonella MeadowsMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyA Blueprint for SurvivalUS CongressInternational Union for Conservation of NatureWorld Charter for Natureconservationinclusivesustainable economic growthUN Conference on Environment and DevelopmentEarth CharterAgenda 21The Rio Protocolglobal governancepoverty reductionenvironmental problemssocietyVenn diagramUnited Nations Conference on Environment & Development – Earth Summit (1992)economic growthglobal trade17 SDGsHuman impact on the environmentEcological footprintnatural capitalcarrying capacityHerman Dalysustainable yieldlargest, most comprehensive study to datebiodiversityecosystem servicesIntergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Servicessustainable agricultureconsumptionindustrial agricultureagribusinessorganic farmingsustainable business practicessustainable food systemslocal foodslow foodsustainable gardeningorganic gardeningHuman Development Indexresource consumptiondematerializationcircular material flowcircular economysharingremanufacturingrecyclingresource inputsEuropean CommissionCircular Economy Action PlanCorporate sustainabilitySustainable businessrural povertyoverexploitationThe Limits to Growthsteady-state economyEdward BarbierWorld Bankresource depletionhuman capitalmacroeconomicsclimate economicsWorld Business Council for Sustainable Developmentplanetary boundariesThe Guardiangreenhouse gas emissionsvalue-action gappublic goodscompetitive marketconsumerismshort-termismWeak and strong sustainabilityDegrowthEco-economic decouplingnon-renewable resourceIndustrial Revolution