Module 6: Sustainable Development Goals
The term sustainable development has acquired much popularity among scholars, politicians,
public servants, and the civil population alike after the Brundtland Report by the World
Commission on the Environment and Development (WCED) was presented in 1987. As defined
by the Brundtland Report, "sustainable development is the development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs." Despite being considered unclear by some in terms of definition,
sustainable development should be situated in a rigid social and political setting.
WCED outlined critical objectives for environment and development policies following its
concept of sustainable development. These are 1) reviving growth: 2) changing the quality of
growth; 3) meeting essential needs for jobs, food, energy, water, and sanitation; 4) ensuring a
sustainable level of population; 5) conserving and enhancing the resource base; 6) reorienting
technology and managing risks; and 7) merging environment and economics in
decision-making.
Governments and scholars have been on their toes in an attempt to attain sustainable
development. In this era of unrelenting challenges in politics, society, and particularly the
environment (e.g., climate change, waste disposal, biodiversity, forestry and the like), such
stability is undoubtedly sought after by nearly every single nation-state. Governments have
been challenged to come up with ways to develop their communities without exploiting the
natural resources, and to craft policies that help achieve this goal. The welfare of the people
must also be in constant consideration in terms of development.
The United Nations (UN) often cites Agenda 21 of 1992, its Sustainable Development
Knowledge Platform, where the topic of sustainable development is put forth in discussions.
Agenda 21 advocates education to disseminate information regarding sustainable development
(Jickling 1994). Since then, countries all over the world have integrated this action plan of the
UN in their respective governments, such as in the case of Canada when its National Round
Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) instituted the Sustainable Development
Education Program (SDEP) in the same year that Agenda 21 was established (Jickling, 1994).
The United Kingdom's UK Strategy for Sustainable Development crafted in 1994 aimed to raise
the awareness of the people through the integration of environmental policies into all aspects of
government, a shared responsibility between government, local authorities, businesses, and
non-governmental organizations, (Munton & Collins, 1998) among other provisions in the
Strategy.
Sustainability may be likened to stability; however, there are a few key and subtle differences
between the two. A sustainable environment is resilient enough to withstand man-made and
natural challenges, and can also recover from such if needs arise. Sustainability leads to
stability: however, stability alone may not necessarily lead to sustainability. Stable environments
are simply resistant to change but somehow lack the element of resiliency that sustainable
environments possess because it is far easier for stable environments to become unstable in
comparison to the possibility of sustainable environments becoming "unsustainable."
All in all, policies and strategies of governments must be intertwined with environmental
concerns in order for sustainable development to be achieved. The environment must
continuously be at the center of government actions. It is only logical and practical, in a sense,
to constantly put into consideration the environment in the decision-making and policy-making
processes of a nation-state since it is where people build livelihoods on, and which suffers when
they turn a blind eye in terms of developing. By using ecological sustainability as an
underpinning principle of sustainable development, governments can simultaneously advocate
the protection, restoration, and preservation of the integrity of the Earth's ecological systems
(Ross, 2009). This makes the environment more resilient to challenges and threats and in turn,
making civilizations resilient in the same light.
In the long run, humankind itself will be the one to benefit when environmental and ecological
considerations are given serious and substantial consideration. As such, humankind must take
the necessary actions to strive better to attain sustainable development. Developing and
enacting policies that situate environmental concerns at the forefront and practicing
decision-making processes that similarly give importance to the environment are all necessary
steps that must be undertaken to achieve a sustainable environment. Educating individuals
about the importance and benefits of having secure, balanced, and enduring ecosystems will
make the implementation of environment-focused policies and plans much easier, and in the
long term, will create a flourishing and stable environment for all.
