The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) of the United Nations defines sustainable development as a process of growth that satisfies the needs and even help improve the living standards of the present generation, especially the impoverished among them, and at the same time ensuring that future generations would still be able to fulfill their needs. It prioritizes essential needs especially of the world’s poor and imposing limitations on the use of environment resources to meet present and future needs. (WCED) It is a thrust that all member countries of the UN are expected to follow.
Sustainable development policies seek to find a balance with economic growth and the conservation of resources. In particular, it tries to address about five issues that could affect the future, especially the living standards of people. These are: maintenance or improvement of living standards; over-exploitation of resources renewable natural land and water resources; management of non-renewable natural resources (fossil fuel and minerals); protection of free goods air and water; and population growth.
The aim of any development efforts is of course to improve people’s quality of life and living standards. Such improvements should be within acceptable norms and not to the detriment of the environment. However, such development efforts should be tempered to ensure that renewable natural resources could indeed still be renewed, non-renewable resources are conserved and replaced with renewable alternatives, free goods like air and water are protected from pollution, and the management of population growth to keep it at pace with the renewal of resources. In short, sustainable development is a process in which all efforts aim to address these issues and at the same “meet all human needs and aspirations” (WCED).
References
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Towards sustainable development. Our Common Future. United Nations.
