Perhaps the biggest conflict seen regarding sustainable development is economic in nature. The concept of sustainable development formed the basis of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The following winter, after discussions […] In environmental policy: History of environmental policy making From the late 1980s, sustainable development— (i.e., the fostering of economic growth while preserving the quality of the environment for future generations—became a leading concept in environmental policy making. This Timeline captures some of the key events. A Short History of Sustainable Development A short history of the concept of sustainable development could begin with the US government’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. I will describe a few below. It was not until the Rio Summit, however, that major world leaders recognised sustainable development as the major challenge it remains today. To study History and GSD is to ask these questions. A Short History of Sustainable Development. Since then, many milestones have marked the journey toward sustainable development. WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? According to the report ‘Our common future’ by Ms. Harlem Brundtland, sustainable development is defined as development that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs. Essentially, Our Common Future confirms the ability of humanity to change the course of history by taking a different development path that this time would be sustainable. Its goal was to reduce the emissions of its signatories, with more emphasis placed on those developed countries which were responsible for most of the air pollution and its subsequent consequences. Further information » Since the report of the Brundtland Commission in 1987, the idea of ‘Sustainable development’ or ‘Sustainability’ has become increasingly prominent across the globe, applied and discussed at a trans-national, international, national, regional and community level. Center for Communication and Civic Engagement, http://www.sustainabledevelopmentinfo.com/history-of-sustainable-development/, http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp, http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/oi.nsf/Sustainability/History, https://rio20.un.org/resolutions-more?page=1, http://globalsolutions.org/blog/2009/11/Problem-Sustainable-Development, http://www.gatescambridge.org/news/detail.asp?ItemID=13922, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amartya_Sen#Books, http://www.greeneconomist.org/page.php?pageid=capitalism, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/greeneconomy, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Brief History of Sustainable Development. Though, what this new world order would look like is up for speculation. The previous point was mostly focused on natural, environmental concerns (e.g., how we might reduce emissions). >> The UN agenda 2030 with its SDGs, is built up upon, but further develops the understanding of global sustainable development which was introduced by the World Commission on Environment and Development. [1] This act came largely in response to the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, which had a devastating impact on wildlife and the natural environment in the area. are empty benefits, not of much use unless the society provides its citizens “functionings,” such as education, transportation to voting locations, access to food, etc. UNITED NATIONS TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD: THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT sustainabledevelopment.un.org A/RES/70/1 Session at European Society for Environmental History, Türku University 29 June 2011 . This timeline captures some of the key events. The concept of sustainable development formed the basis of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Both terms derive from the older forestry term “sustained yield”, which in turn a translation of the German term “nachhaltiger Ertrag” is dating from 1713. One point of contention has arisen as a result of the differences in power and responsibility between some developing and developed countries. This conference “brought the industrialized and developing nations together to delineate the ‘rights’ of the human family to a healthy and productive environment. There seems to be some confusion in this camp, around expectations as well as around the terminology used and definitions understood. The Contribution of World Heritage to Sustainable Development Outside the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) N. 7, on environmental sustainability, which addresses in part the need to protect biodiversity and natural resources, the MDGs adopted by the international community in 2000 made no specific reference to heritage or even to culture in general. The recognition to revitalize humanity’s connection with Nature, led to the creation of global institutions within the UN system.”[4] Here, we have a transition from a national focus to an international one. Key commitments included those on sustainable consumption and production, water and sanitation, and energy. This came to the fore as a part of the publication of Limits to Growth, a report that described a particular state in which the global population would achieve balance or equilibrium. [5], The first time the term ‘sustainable’ was used “in the modern sense” was as part of the Club of Rome, in 1972. The summit marked the first international attempt to draw up action plans and strategies for moving towards a more sustainable pattern of development. This was partly due to the lack of an internationally agreed definition or universal principles for green economy, the emergence of interrelated but different terminology and concepts over recent years (such as green growth, low carbon development, sustainable economy, steady-state economy etc. In essence, this is a focus on the economics of sustainable development. 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