Sustainable development (SD) is an approach to meeting people’s needs without endangering natural resources or harming the environment, drawing its inspiration from Malthus’ theory about finite natural resources (Thomas Citation2015).
It shares many of the same principles with the Millennium Development Goals, which were instrumental in lifting millions out of poverty, combatting hunger and expanding education opportunities for millions worldwide.
Definition
Sustainable development (SD) is a term coined to refer to an approach that attempts to balance economic and social progress with protecting or preventing damage to the natural environment. The concept combines elements from both environmentalism and development studies literatures into one term.
SD was inspired by global concerns that human activities could no longer continue unimpeded without impacting future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. It rests on the idea that humanity has limited natural resources which must be conserved to avoid degradation and overuse.
Brundtland Commission Report in 1987 defined sustainability as meeting current needs without undermining future generations’ ability to do the same.” Since then, sustainable development has become a central aspect of international politics and policymaking – yet its exact meaning and principles remain controversial – giving rise to diverse definitions and perspectives regarding it in literature on this topic.
Goals
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the UN have been created with the intention of creating a world in which everyone has access to decent work and quality health care, climate change is addressed, natural resources preserved, prosperity achieved without environmental degradation while simultaneously upholding peace and justice among all nations.
These goals also aim to promote education for sustainable development, empower women, and progressively develop social protection systems for those unable to support themselves. Furthermore, poverty must be reduced while protecting natural habitats and biodiversity through stopping deforestation of natural areas, combatting illegal trade of plants and fauna and combatting illegal trading of flora and fauna species.
These goals should be accomplished by 2030; however, some representatives have reported slow progress toward them and highlighted trade-offs between goals – for instance food security against biodiversity preservation – that need to be resolved.
Implementation
Sustainable development refers to maintaining an entity or outcome over time. This approach to development combines economic, environmental, and social goals while keeping in mind Earth’s carrying capacity (Basiago Citation 1999).
SD emerged out of global concerns over nonrenewable natural resources and environmental degradation caused by industrialization, as well as modern natural resource management theories, 20th-century conservation movements and economic development approaches that promoted progressivism.
Reducing poverty, hunger and disease in an equitable world by living harmonious lives that co-exist with nature – free from poverty, hunger and inequality. Sustainable development means ensuring daily needs are met while not overusing planet’s limited natural resources or polluting them too much; economic models that prioritize sustainable growth and financial inclusion; ecological and biodiversity models as well as improving political, cultural, religious and health systems can all play a part. Population control also plays an essential role as well as sustainable energy and water solutions.
Monitoring
Sustainable projects rely on monitoring and evaluating their impact, in order to understand what has been accomplished thus far as well as potential setbacks that need addressing immediately. Doing this helps them to stay on track.
Monitoring initiatives may take place at various levels: local, regional or global. At an international level, monitoring may help coordinate efforts across borders while also highlighting best practices. Monitoring can encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing by showing where efforts should focus.
Global coordination can also help avoid duplicative efforts, and ensure the most vital information is collected and shared. It can foster shared understanding of any challenges to sustainable development that might impede progress – evidence for policy change advocacy purposes – and promote the use of Earth Observation data for global reporting on SDGs which has been mandated by the UN Statistical Commission.