What is ‘Sustainable’ Development?
A quick guide to the history of a malleable concept, and what it can teach us about creating a sustainable future
“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable — to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
– Our Common Future
What is Sustainable Development?
The above definition of ‘sustainable development’ is well-known for being the most widely accepted definition. But it’s also famous for being the most ambiguous.
So it’s no wonder the brief definition above, conveniently excerpted from the more nuanced context of the Brundtland report, has become so popular around the world: it has allowed just about anyone — in business, government, NGO, and industry — to attach whatever interests they might have to the banner of sustainable development.
Published in 1987, Our Common Future, was a report written by The World Commission on Environment and Development, a commission created by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1982…
