The document provides an introduction to sustainable development. It defines sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs. Sustainable development contains ensuring essential needs are met and recognizing environmental limitations. It traditionally balances environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability. The three pillars of sustainable development are further defined in terms of their goals and relevant thematic issues.

1. A short Introduction to
Sustainable Development
Redouane Boulguid
Faculté Polydisciplinaire de Safi
Année Universitaire 2011/2012

2. Sustainable Development
• Sustainable development is a pattern
of growth in which resource use aims
to meet human needs while
preserving the environment so that
these needs can be met not only in
the present, but also for generations
to come (sometimes taught as ELF-
Environment, Local people, Future).
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3. Sustainable Development
• 1987: The Brundtland Commission (Our
Common Future) which coined what has
become the most often-quoted definition
of sustainable development as
development that "meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own
needs."
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4. Sustainable Development
It contains within it two key concepts:
• the concept of 'needs', in particular the
essential needs of the world's poor, to which
overriding priority should be given; and
• the idea of limitations imposed by the state
of technology and social organization on the
environment's ability to meet present and
future needs."
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5. SD & EU
• Sustainable development, as defined
by the EU, stands for meeting the
development needs of present
generations without jeopardizing the
ability of future generations to meet
their own development needs.
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6. SD & EU
• Sustainable development does not
focus solely on environmental issues,
but broadly captures the different
dimensions of development.
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7. Environmental
Economic Social
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8. Scheme of sustainable development:
at the confluence of three constituent parts.
(Adams, W.M. IUCN 2006)
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9. Sustainable Development
Traditionally, sustainable development
is conceptually considered in terms
of three main pillars:
• Environmental sustainability;
• Economic sustainability; and
• Social sustainability.
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10. • It must be emphasized that these are
interdependent and mutually
reinforcing elements of the same
integrated process of sustainable
development.
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11. Environmental sustainability
• Environmental sustainability is defined as
the ability of the environment to continue
to function properly indefinitely.
• The goal of environmental sustainability is
to minimize environmental degradation
and to stop and reverse the process that
leads to environmental degradation.
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12. • Selected thematic issues relating to
the environmental pillar of
sustainable development (The EU
Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS)
adopted in 2001):
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13. • Climate change issues;
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
(i.e. understanding the impacts of human
activity in particular the burning of fossil
fuels on climate change);
• Biodiversity (i.e. stopping biodiversity loss
by addressing the changes in natural
habitats);
• Energy efficiency (i.e. actions to save
energy and developing energy-saving
technology);
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14. • Development of clean technology;
• Conservation and management of
natural resources;
• Waste management;
• Pollution (water, air, soil); and,
• Sustainable transport.
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15. Economic sustainability
• Economic sustainability is defined as
the way to achieving economic
growth whilst respecting
environmental limits, finding ways to
minimize damage to the natural
world and making use of the earth's
resources in a sustainable way.
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16. • The economic dimension of sustainable
development was developed by Agenda 21
(Ch.2), the United Nations programme.
• Agenda 21 states that:
• “Economic policies of individual countries
and international economic relations both
have great relevance to sustainable
development”.
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17. • Another relevant concept for the economic
pillar is “sustainable business”: A business
is sustainable if it has adapted its practices
to the use of renewable resources and
holds itself accountable for the
environmental and social impacts of its
activities.
• This includes a business that may want to
operate in a socially responsible manner as
well as to protect the environment.
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18. • Selected thematic issues relating to
the economic pillar of sustainable
development (The EU Sustainable
Development Strategy (SDS) adopted in
2001):
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19. • Sustainable consumption;
• Sustainable production;
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
practices;
• Urban and local development;
• Sustainable tourism;
• Integration of environmental concerns in
business decision-making (Green
Business); and,
• Sustainable trade.
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20. Social Sustainability
• The social pillar of sustainable
development is defined as a
compilation of actions and efforts to
promote development that does not
deplete the stock of social and
human resources but rather
contributes to the enhancement of
their potential.
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21. • The social pillar also refers to the
concept of “building sustainable and
harmonious communities”.
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22. • Selected thematic issues relating to
the social pillar of sustainable
development (The EU Sustainable
Development Strategy (SDS) adopted in
2001):
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23. • Health;
• Community cohesion;
• Social equity;
• Demography;
• Management of migration and cultural
diversity;
• Equal opportunities;
• Flexicurity; and,
• Development of human capital and skills.
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24. References Used
• Inventory of innovative practices in education for
sustainable development Order 31 DG
EDUCATION AND CULTURE, Final Report
submitted by GHK in association with: Danish
Technology Institute, Technopolis, 14 October
2008 http://ec.europa.eu
• Wikipedia
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