Sustainable development (SD) refers to human activities that make use of renewable natural resources while avoiding pollution or any permanent losses to the environment, while also encouraging inclusive governance practices that are more accountable and transparent.
Brundtland Commission report, Our Common Future, defines sustainable development as meeting current needs without undermining future generations’ ability to meet their own. Global goals exist.
Environment
Environmentalism is essential to sustainable development. This requires aligning an economy’s production practices and production practices with nature’s regeneration capacity, population control, and adhering to the polluter-pays principle where polluting entities must shoulder their costs rather than force others to subsidise them.
Companies can contribute to sustainable development by reducing their carbon footprints and adopting eco-friendly technology. Such initiatives can save companies money on energy costs while benefitting the communities by supporting green projects in local green initiatives.
Environmental sustainability also benefits individuals by encouraging healthier lifestyles and decreasing global poverty, hunger, deprivation and climate change. The Brundtland Report from 1987 popularized this idea; defining it as “development that meets present-day needs without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to meet their own.” This report stressed the need for human advancement alongside an environmentally balanced ecosystem.
Economy
As our world continues to develop, sustainable development practices offer us a way to meet our needs while conserving natural resources and respecting ecosystems. These practices include shifting toward renewable energy sources, adopting circular economic models, and adhering to ethical management principles within businesses. They also require government support for investments that attract private investments as well as better institutional capacities, regulatory reform and reform efforts, greater awareness and education programs.
Though each pillar of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) are distinct from one another, they remain inextricably linked. Action taken within one field can have ripple effects throughout others – for instance, conserving natural resources may have positive ramifications on economic performance, vice versa. Many companies now recognize the benefits of incorporating sustainability strategies into their operations as this can enhance brand loyalty while simultaneously decreasing operational expenses while simultaneously having less of an environmental impact.
Society
Sustainable development hinges upon society as one of its core pillars. Human needs and wants are endless, while Earth only offers limited means and resources (Malthus, 2013). Therefore, sustainable development calls for individuals living within Earth’s carrying capacity while still realizing economic growth and development goals; this goal can be attained through creating sustainable social, economic and environmental models.
Sustainable development includes policies that support social inclusion and tolerance, efficient administration of justice and respect for basic human rights. Furthermore, sustainable development involves encouraging responsible natural resource usage without pollution or permanent loss, quality healthcare services for all, business practices that support environmental concerns such as paying decent wages to workers using materials from responsible sources (reducing poverty/conflict/illness etc), encouraging business practices that support environmental initiatives as a whole – creating healthier working environments in turn reducing poverty/conflict/illness etc; ultimately all citizens have an obligation to contribute towards realizing sustainable development – so future generations have an opportunity for better lives than us all.
Education
Education is an integral component of sustainable development, as it equips individuals to take action and shape a more sustainable future. Education may take many forms – from teaching students about sustainability in schools and universities, to implementing green initiatives at businesses.
Implementation can be accomplished through expanding traditional subject teaching to enable learners to apply their subject knowledge directly to issues they care about in their communities and lives, or encouraging ethically-driven deliberative learning that allows students to assess values and implications associated with sustainability concepts (Edwards 2017).
Higher education institutions that embrace an institutional approach to sustainability education can nurture students who actively take part in upholding its principles of sustainable development. They can do this by reducing their environmental footprint, engaging strongly with local communities and creating a collaborative learning environment – giving students opportunities to work on real projects for external clients or participate in excursions or solve problems during small group seminars.