Sustainable development is a broad global concept that addresses the needs of human societies while respecting and supporting natural systems. It requires policies that take planetary boundaries into account, such as fighting climate change, promoting a just green transition and leaving no one behind.
It also involves a radical shift in societal ethics and culture that promotes population stability, sharing resources and reducing unfulfilling consumption. It also aims to build resilient infrastructure and advance innovation.
What is Sustainable Development?
It is the process of improving people’s well-being while also preserving the natural environment. In a global sense, sustainability focuses on the development of countries and communities through cooperation between governments, local communities, civil society organizations, private sector and other stakeholders in a spirit of mutual benefit and respect.
The term ‘sustainable development’ became widely used in 1987 with the publication of the report ‘Our Common Future’ from the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission). Its most commonly accepted definition is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Sustainable development aims to achieve several goals, such as eliminating poverty, ending hunger, achieving good health and quality education, and taking action against climate change. FSC works to support the achievement of these goals through trusted standards, inclusive partnerships and tools for measurable impact. Learn more about how to integrate sustainability into your business strategy through our forest-based solutions and services.
The First Law
Since the late 20th century awareness of human detrimental impacts on natural environments has grown, and world meetings formed to discuss regulations and laws to reduce these. Ecologically sustainable development (ESD) has been incorporated into Australian law and in particular is included within the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act, 2000 (EPBC Act, 1999).
The EPBC Act states that “Economic developments must be ecologically sustainable.” This means that a commercial project must be able to provide economic benefits without having a negative impact on the natural environment.
The current maelstrom of global crises – financial, food, climate and energy – call for a holistic review of the challenges and dilemmas that shape the legal, regulatory and policy framework governing natural resources. A major challenge is locating concerns about the sustainability of natural resources within the shifting landscape of international economic law. The asymmetry in governance structures between transnational economic actors and national governments often precludes meaningful dialogue and reforms towards sustainability.
The Second Law
The weak definition of sustainable development rooted in the Brundtland Report has had far-reaching consequences. It has progressively embedded itself within the treaties that form the global climate regime and orients those treaties toward the logic of economic growth.
The legal concept of sustainable development entails a duty to manage natural resources in a way that respects their essential ecological processes and prevents harm to them. It also embodies intergenerational equity, a principle that requires States to take into account the needs of future generations.
Exposing the contradictions of the legal concept of sustainable development can shift it away from its current role as instrument of domination toward a tool for ecological sustainability, social well-being, and democratic participation. This is not an easy task, but it is indispensable if we want to shift the world economy onto a path of degrowth. For this, we need a strong law. This is the work that lies ahead.