Sustainable Development

Karan Dev Jamwal

 History of concept
◻ As early as the 1970s, "sustainability" was employed to describe
an economy "in equilibrium with basic ecological support
systems"
◻ Stockholm declaration marked a watershed in international
relations as it placed the issue of environment protection on
official agenda of international law and policy.
◻ Environment protection and development two sides of the same
coin.
◻ World conservation strategy in 1980. (UNEP +WWF)
◻ Bruntland Commission
Bruntland Commision
◻ UN established The Bruntland
Commision in 1983.
◻ BC released “Our Common
Future”/Bruntland Report, in
October 1987, which coined and
defined the meaning of the term
SD.
◻ “needs and limitations “
Brundtland Report
◻ Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
◻ Described sustainability as a three-legged stool with
social, environment and economy taking equal
importance in the equation.
◻ It has been successful in forming international ties
between governments and multinational
corporations.
United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development-1992

◻ Summit resulted in following

documents :
Agenda 21
Rio Declaration on
Environment and
Development
Forest Principles
 World Summit on Sustainable Development

◻ Earth Summit 2002/Rio+10

◻ Johannesburg, South Africa
◻ growth with minimal damage
to environment
◻ Objectives
poverty reduction
clean energy
sustainable development
❑ Johannesburg Declaration
-threats to sustainable development
Three Pillars of Sustainability
Economic Dimension

◻ opportunities for growth

◻ increased GDP and benefits
◻ system stability and security
◻ Green jobs and eradication of
unemployment
◻ Prevention of practices
which misuse resources
◻ Regulation of
over-exploitation and
harmful externalities
Social Dimension

◻ Participation and inclusion

of everyone
◻ Eradication of poverty and
exclusion
◻ Food security
◻ Equitable distribution of
resources ..
.
◻ Better life chances and .
opportunities
◻ Protection from diseases etc.
 Environmental dimension

◻ Protection of ecosystems and

biosphere
◻ increased quality of air, land,
water
◻ better management of waste and
pollution
◻ respect and protection for all
species - flora, fauna, marine
species
◻ measures to ensure resource
sustainability and harmony
◻ Protection of marine resources
ddd.
..
Three Pillars of Sustainability
What is my role in sustainable development
(SD)?

◻ Sustainable development requires the active involvement of

all stakeholders: governments, NGOs, private sector but also
civil society. It is not just politicians, or policy makers, who
decide what SD should be like. The most important
stakeholder in SD is YOU!
◻ You have to remind policy-makers to make decisions which
protect your future: you can remind them that you want
better jobs, cleaner cities, more equitable resource
distribution, and above all, a guarantee that your future is
secure, full of opportunities, a pleasant world to live in
and a healthy planet.
Salient features
◻ Inter-Generational Equity.
◻ Use & conservation of natural resources
◻ Environmental Protection
◻ Eradication of Poverty
◻ Obligation to assist and cooperate
◻ Assistance to developing counties
◻ Precautionary principle
◻ Polluter pays principle
Precautionary Principle
◻ tool for making better
environmental
decisions
◻ “better safe than sorry”
◻ denotes a duty to
prevent harm.
◻ Cartagena Protocol on
Bio-safety, 2000
Polluter Pays Principle
◻ imposes liability on a
person who pollutes
the environment.
◻ “you make a mess you
clean it up”
◻ SC
◻ Limitations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

◻ Universal call to end

poverty, protect the
planet and ensure peace
and prosperity for all.
◻ Collection of 17 global
goals (169 targets).
◻ 2015-2030
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Thank you
“There are enough resources for everyone’s
need but not for anybody’s greed” Mahatma
Gandhi