Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development: Definition

“Sustainable Development seeks to meet the aspirations and the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

History of the Concept

Elaborated by the Brundtland Commission

Endorsed at the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992)

Addresses controversy on whether growth and development are inherently destructive to the environment.

Lack of sustainability results both from affluence and poverty

Endorsed by Development Organizations

Concerns of developed and developing countries

Development and environment not incompatible

Need to eradicate poverty

Some forms of development more sustainable

Efficiency and win-win approaches

Technology transfer

Policy development

Is SD a useful concept?

Or, is it a misleading concept and a contradiction in terms?

Measuring Sustainable Development

The ESI

http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/indicators/ESI/

Objectives Add substance to the concept

Compare countries

What drives sustainability

ESI Variables

Environmental Systems

Reducing Environmental Stresses

Human Vulnerability

Social and Institutional Capacity

Global Stewardship

ESI 2001 Ranking

Rank Country1 Finland2 Norway3 Uruguay4 Sweden 5 Iceland

….141 Haiti142 Uzbekistan143 Iraq144 Turkmenistan145 Taiwan146 North Korea

Are Richer Countries More Sustainable?

The Environmental Kuznets Curve

Measuring Sustainable Development

Ecological footprints:

http://www.progress.org/

Measures “the amount of renewable and non-renewable ecologically productive land area required to support the resource demands and absorb the wastes of a given population or specific activities”

Measuring Sustainable Development

Surce of dashboard:

http://esl.jrc.it/dc/ef_rp/ef_fvc.htm