Sustainable development, a term coined by Gro Harlem Brundtland in 1987, refers to exploiting resources without exceeding the planet’s capacity for natural renewal. It aims to balance people’s economic and social needs with environmental protection and conservation of biodiversity.
Achieving these goals requires an integrated approach. Businesses can contribute to sustainable development by adopting internationally recognized forestry standards and integrating fair labour practices into their supply chains.
Economic growth
A key part of sustainable development is ensuring economic growth that is both sustainable and equitable. This can be done by reducing poverty, increasing decent work opportunities, and investing in innovation and infrastructure. However, such growth should be accompanied by measures to protect the environment and reduce inequality.
According to Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and author of Our Common Future (World Commission on the Environment and Development report, 1987), sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.” This means exploiting our planet’s resources only in reasonable amounts and within the limits of its natural renewal capacity.
The United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and aims to achieve them by 2030. These goals cover areas such as clean energy, good nutrition, gender equality and environmental protection. A great deal of their implementation is done at the local level and many cities are already taking a leading role in this.
Environmental protection
The goal of sustainable development is to secure opportunities for a good life for current and future generations, taking into account the finite nature of natural resources and our planet’s carrying capacity. A sustainable city secures these opportunities in a way that is consistent with environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and social justice.
The concept of sustainable development was first introduced at the 1972 Stockholm Conference and later incorporated into the first Earth Summit in 1992, with the aim of equitably meeting human needs and preserving the environment. Today, it is a central theme of international environmental discussions and is reflected in international treaties such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Rio Declaration.
The EU is committed to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals, which include the targets of people, planet and prosperity. One of the most important ways to do this is by involving cities in the implementation process. The city of Helsinki, for example, has published its first Voluntary Local Review.
Social progress
Despite remarkable advances in global wealth, poverty and deprivation persist. Over 800 million people still lack basic health and education services, while women perform twice as much unpaid care work as men. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), provides a vision for transforming our world in an urgent effort to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality, and protect the environment.
While progress has been made on some goals, achieving the SDGs by the 2030 deadline is proving elusive. A growing number of countries are lagging behind, and some are even regressing.
But there are signs of hope. SDG investments are generating results. For example, malaria prevention efforts have saved 14 million lives since 2000, and 92 percent of the global population now has access to electricity. And the SDG Innovation Fund is sourcing and amplifying 7,000 grassroots solutions, including digital platforms that help small farmers adapt to climate shocks.
Climate resilience
In 2015, the United Nations adopted seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to eradicate poverty and inequality while protecting the planet. However, global warming continues to worsen and only 36 percent of assessable SDG targets are on track to be met by 2030.
Climate change threatens to disrupt lives, economies and ecosystems, and building resilience is a crucial step to mitigate these risks. This can range from building flood defences, designing climate-smart urban planning or switching to drought-tolerant crops, to introducing green infrastructure and providing support for vulnerable communities.
The goal is to create resilient communities that can recover from hazard events, and businesses increasingly recognise the importance of addressing climate risk as part of their business operations and strategies. We help companies measure their environmental footprint, prepare sustainability scenarios and plan for decarbonisation projects. Discover how Manglai can help your business.