This document discusses sustainable development. It begins with a brief history of sustainable development, noting key publications and agreements from 1987 to the present. It then defines sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs. The document outlines the main goals of sustainable development, including economic development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and good governance. It also discusses some of the main challenges to sustainable development, such as population growth, resource overuse, and environmental problems, as well as potential pathways and solutions. Finally, it examines the roles of various actors - including governments, private sector, technology, civil society - in working towards sustainable development.

1. Sustainable development
Presented By: Baghershahi, P.
Amirkabir University of Technology – Tehran PolyTechnic
Spring 2018
1

2. Introduction - History
1987: Brundtland Commision in its landmark publication Our
Common Future.
2000: Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
2014: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
2

3. Introduction - Definition
Significant steps to have a
clear outline of SD:
1. Definition of the main goals
2. Data Measurement or
estimation
3. Evaluation
4. Generation of new and reliable
data
5. Reporting
Three major aspects of key
criticisms
1. Concept of sustainable
development.
2. Difficulty of measuring activities
3. The oxymoron concept
3

4. Introduction - Definition
‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.’ It contains within it three key concepts:
Needs Limitations Intergenerational equity
4

5. Introduction - The Solutions Network’s
Leadership Council
• 60 leaders from academia, the research community, business and civil
society
• Action-oriented
• Spur authorities to challenges
• Map out pathways
5

6. Introduction – councils & communities
They can be classified along
two dimensions
• The actors of the documents
• The evolution of the documents
6

7. Introduction – councils & communities
OECD Guidelines
(The Organization for
Economic Co-operation
and Development)
CERES Principles
(The Coalition for
Environmentally Responsible
Economies)
ICC Business Charter
(The International Chamber of Commerce)
7

8. Introduction – councils & communities
CAUX Principles
Global Sullivan Principles (GSP)
UN Global Compact Principles
8

9. Challenges & Solutions
Population growthOld ageInequalities of earnings in many countriesPrimary resources overuse in high-income and middle-income countriesEnvironmental problems
• Major environmental accidents
• Water pollution
• Maritime pollution
• Land use and siting impact
• Radiation and radioactivity
• Solid waste disposal
• Hazardous air pollutants
• Ambient air quality
• Acid rain
• Stratospheric ozone depletion
• Global climate change
(greenhouse effect).
9

10. Main
Goals
Goals
Main aspects
• Economic development
• Social inclusion
• Environmental sustainability
• Good governance (including security)
10

11. Take urgent action to
combat climate change
and its impacts
Conserve and sustainably
use the oceans, seas and
marine resources
Protect, restore and promote
sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and
halt and reverse
Promote peaceful and inclusive
societies for sustainable
development, provide access to
justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive
Strengthen the means of
implementation and revitalize the
global partnership for sustainable
development
Reduce inequality within
and among countries
Make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable
Ensure sustainable
consumption and
production patterns
Build resilient infrastructure,
promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and
foster innovation
End poverty in all its
forms everywhere
End hunger, achieve food
security and improved
nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture
Ensure healthy lives and
promote well-being for
all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and
equitable quality education
and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all
Achieve gender equality and
empower all women and girls
Ensure availability and
sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all
Ensure access to affordable,
reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all
Promote sustained, inclusive
and sustainable economic
growth, full and productive
employment and decent work
for all
11

12. Actors
• Inclusive financing strategies
• mobilize the necessary resources
• Provide the public goods (including peace and security)
• Policy decisions based on scientific evidence
• Improve education and on-the-job-training
• Smart policies for new industries
• Combat corruption
• Affirmative action for the poor and marginalized
• Social safety nets
1. Government
12

13. Actors
o Adopt transparent goals for sustainable
development
o Work responsibly and constructively with
governments
o Align private incentives with public objectives
o be accountable for “polluter pays” principle
4. Private sector
13

14. Actors
• Stretch goals
• Data systems
• Contributions to research
• Implications for practice
• Limitations of our work
• Cybernetic controls
3. Technology
14

15. Actors
Social capital
a. Socially inclusive economic gains
b. Social interactions based on social ethics and human rights for all
4. Civil society
• Voluntary organizations to assess both government and business
• Organize and mobilize communities
• Keep neighborhoods pleasant and safe
• Promote cultural activities
• Philanthropies that support science, research, education, and help for the poor
• Defend the environment against pollution
15

16. Pathways for environmental problems
1. Renewable energy technologies
2. Energy conservation (efficient energy utilization)
3. Cogeneration and district heating
4. Energy storage technologies
5. Alternative energy dimensions for transport
6. Coal cleaning technologies
7. Optimum monitoring and evaluation of energy
indicators
8. Policy integration
9. Energy source switching from fossil fuels to
environmentally benign energy forms
10.Recycling
11.Process change and sectoral shiftment
12.Acceleration of forestation
13.Carbon or fuel taxes
14.Materials substitution
15.Promoting public transport
16.Changing life styles
17.Increasing public awareness
18.Education and training.
16

17. Pathways for energy management
1. The importance of decoupling
• Decouple rising energy use from carbon dioxide emissions
(Energy efficiency measures and low-carbon energy systems)
• Decouple rising food yields from unsustainable utilization of
water, chemicals, fertilizers, and land (Precision farming,
improved crop varieties, efficient water management, and
no-till farm practices)
• Decouple urbanization from rising urban energy use and
ensure effective land use (Green buildings, smart grids, and
improved transportation systems)
2. The need to change behavior and articulate
the business case for sustainable development
3. Quantifying the challenges of sustainable
development
4. Economic growth
5. Energy Use and Carbon Emissions
6. Sustainable food supply
7. Financing strategy
• First, polluters should pay to clean up after
themselves
• Second, ecosystem services need to be priced
• Third, rich countries should help poor countries to
cover the incremental costs of investment
8. Analyzing opportunities for renewable energy and
working in consultation with industry to identify
R&D and market strategies to meet technological
goals
9. Conducting R&D in cooperation with industry to
develop and commercialize technologies
10.Encouraging the application of renewable energy
technologies to potential users, including utilities
11.Providing technical support and advice to industry
associations and government programs that are
encouraging the increased use of renewable
energy.
12.Improving the collection and conversion
efficiencies
13.Lowering the initial and maintenance costs
14.Increasing the reliability and applicability
15.Understanding the phenomena of renewable
energy systems
16.Technology assessment
17.Technology transfer
17

18. Resources
1. What Happened to the ‘Development’ in Sustainable Development? Business
Guidelines Two Decades after Brundtland
2. Towards Integration at Last? The Sustainable Development Goals as a Network of
Targets (David Le Blanc)
3. A Framework for Sustainable Development
4. Renewable energy and sustainable development: a crucial review
5. Managing sustainable development with management control systems: A literature
review
6. https://www.unicef.org
7. https://en.unesco.org
8. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org
9. http://www.undp.org
18