Rapidly Deployable Sustainable Development Platforms
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Instant EcoVilla Models are the Primary Structures for our Sustainable Development Platforms
What is Sustainable Development?
Sustainable development is defined as balancing the protection of the natural environment with the fulfillment of human needs so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. The term has prompted a global recognition of the close linkage between environmental health and human development, as well as the need to alter social and economic policies to minimize the human impact on the planet.
First coined in 1980 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, "Sustainable Development" came into general usage following publication of the 1987 report of the Brundtland Commission. The commission’s oft-quoted definition casts sustainable development as economic and social growth that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 1987).
The Concept of Sustainable Development Integrates Social, Economic, and Environmental Policy. It considers both development (a traditional economic and political goal) and sustainability (an ecological goal). Several United Nations texts, most recently the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, refer to the "interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars" of sustainable development as economic development, social development, and environmental protection.
The concept of sustainable development touches upon the fundamental relationship between human beings and nature. However, sustainable development is not a precisely defined term, and a wide array of views has fallen under its umbrella. Moreover, critics of the term note that it continues to participate in an anthropocentric (human-centered) viewpoint, which sees the natural environment as being in the service of human needs. They also point to its inherently capitalistic perspective: it assumes that consumption of material resources is the most important contribution to human welfare. A possible middle ground between an anthropocentric viewpoint and one that places human beings as just one of many species, with no more rights than any other species, would be to see human beings as stewards of nature in the sense of having a responsibility to love and care for nature, allowing entities to fulfill dual functions—both a function meeting the needs of the individual (such as survival, reproduction, growth) and a function benefiting the whole (contributing value to the ecosystem and to humans, including non-physical aspects like beauty, peace of mind, and so forth.)
Despite the possible conceptual and practical limitations of the term, its impact on the global conversation must also be emphasized. Sustainable development signals a shared belief that there are ultimate, biophysical limits to human growth. As established by the Brundtland Commission's definition, sustainable development is not an issue limited to national borders, but one involving the entire human community.
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Common Sustainable Development Principles:
Despite these different perspectives, a number of common principles are embedded in most charters or action programs to achieve sustainable development, sustainability, or sustainable prosperity.
These include:
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Conservation of biodiversity and ecological integrity.
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Ensuring appropriate valuation, appreciation, and restoration of nature.
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Integration of environmental, social, human, and economic goals in policies and activities.
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Dealing transparently and systemically with risk, uncertainty, and irreversibility.
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Equal opportunity and community participation/Sustainable community.
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Ensuring inter-generational equity.
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Recognizing the global integration of localities.
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A commitment to best practice.
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No net loss of human capital or natural capital.
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The principle of continuous improvement.
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The need for good governance.
Sustainable Development and Climate Change Reference Websites:
World Climate Research Programme
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
International Institute for Sustainable Development
United Nations: Research For Global Sustainability
United Nations: Sustainable Development In Action