Sustainable Development

In the 1980s, increasing concern about the effects of economic development on health, natural resources and the environment led the United Nations to publish the Brundtland Report. This defined Sustainable Development as "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." In June 1992, the Rio Earth Summit declared that "the right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations." Sustainable Development is not just about the environment, but about the economy and our society as well.

Sustainable Development encourages the conservation and preservation of natural resources and of the environment, and the management of energy, waste and transportation. Sustainable Development is development based on patterns of production and consumption that can be pursued into the future without degrading the human or natural environment. It involves the equitable sharing of the benefits of economic activity across all sections of society, to enhance the well-being of humans, protect health and alleviate poverty. If sustainable development is to be successful, the attitudes of individuals as well as governments with regard to our current lifestyles and the impact they have on the environment will need to change.