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Carbon Footprint Corporate Carbon Footprint Sustainable Development

Environment

Sustainable development:
Definition, objectives and
examples
By Paul Collins

Journalist and digital marketing professional

Updated on 13/08/2021 4 min reading

Sustainable development represents the transition

from today's society to a more environmentally
friendly one. With the world facing a potential
climate crisis - water shortages, drought, hunger,
extreme weather - sustainable development goals
are to ensure a commitment and balance between
economic growth, preservation of the environment
and social well-being.

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What is sustainable development?

Sustainable development is a necessity today. Gro Harlem

Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, defines it as:
"development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs" - Our Common Future (Report
World Commission on the Environment and Development
report, 1987). In other words, it is about exploiting the
planet's resources in moderation, without exceeding its
capacity for natural renewal.

3 pillars of sustainable development

There are 3 pillars of sustainable development:

! Economic sustainability: which aims to reduce

extreme poverty and guarantee fair paid employment
for all.
" Environmental sustainability: which aims to protect
the natural balance of the planet, while limiting the
impact of human activities on the environment.
# Social sustainability: which aims to guarantee access
to basic resources and services for all.

The sustainable development definition is, therefore, a

development that is economically efficient, ecologically
sustainable and socially equitable.

The Brundtland report and sustainable development

The concept of sustainable development is very recent. It

first appeared in the Brundtland Report established within
the framework of the World Commission on Environment
and Development (WCED) in 1987, chaired by Gro Harlem
Brundtland. The Brundtland report highlighted the negative
environmental consequences of economic development
and proposed possible solutions to problems arising from
globalisation and population growth.

Thanks to the Brundtland report, sustainable development

as a concept was born. A few years later, in 1997, it was at
the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro where the concept of
sustainable development became official.

The 2030 agenda for sustainable

development

As a new roadmap to achieve sustainable development, in

September 2015, the United Nations approved the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development that sets out the
Sustainable Development Goals, a series of common goals
to protect the planet and guarantee social well-being. By
adopting this new strategy, the states committed
themselves, over the next fifteen years, to mobilise all the
necessary means for its implementation.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) aims to

help implement the Goals.

Then Prime Minister, Theresa May, represented the UK

in signing up to the Sustainable Development Goals. She
told business leaders in the country that the UK had
played a key role in defining the goals and would lead
the way in ensuring they are met at home and abroad.

The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the

Global Goals, seek to reconcile economic growth,
environmental balance and social progress, ensuring that all
people have the same opportunities and can lead a better
life without compromising the planet.

What are the 17 UN sustainable development goals?

! End poverty
" Zero hunger
# Good health and well-being
$ Quality education
% Gender equality
& Clean water and sanitation
' Affordable and clean energy
( Decent work and economic growth
) Industry, innovation and infrastructure
!* Reduced inequalities
!! Sustainable cities and communities
!" Responsible consumption and production
!# Climate action
!$ Life below water
!% Life on land
!& Peace, justice and strong institutions
!' Partnerships for the goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals replaced the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight
Millennium Goals, established in 2000, made significant
progress in many areas such as poverty reduction, the
fight against AIDS, access to water, and maternal health.

Sustainable development and the

environment
The human population continues to grow and is expected
to reach 10 billion by 2100. Such an increase entails an
increase in needs and, as a result, more individual
consumption.

The influence of
human activities on the
climate to meet these
needs is undeniable. If
we do not take climate
change into account, it
will set back the
development gains of
recent years and
prevent further
progress. Investing in
sustainable
development helps to tackle climate change and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, initiatives to
combat climate change will drive sustainable development.

The contribution to sustainable development begins with

an awareness process through the calculation of our
personal carbon footprint. This allows us to assess the
areas of our lives and consumption habits that are having a
negative impact on the environment. When we can see how
our habits impact the environment, we can put into place
some of the principles of sustainable development in our
personal lives and help reduce the carbon footprint.

How many tonnes of CO2 do you emit

each year?

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 to offset in less than 5".

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Promoting sustainable development:

examples

Human beings face various challenges, such as climate

change, respect for human rights, hunger, water scarcity,
etc. These challenges can only be solved from a global
perspective and promoting sustainable development
through various initiatives. In order to promote sustainable
development and mobilise citizens, many organisations and
entities are hosting events or launching new initiatives.

European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW)

The European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) is an

annual Europe-wide event. The week aims to promote
sustainable development goals through awareness-raising
actions, and present the 2030 Agenda and its 17 goals.

This year, ESDW takes place between 18th September

and 8th October, with the core of the Week taking
place 20th September and 26th September.

European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR)

European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is an annual

initiative to raise awareness about sustainable resource
management and waste reduction through awareness
actions.

The actions implemented during the week are based on the

3R strategy:

! Reduce waste
" Reuse the products
# Recycle materials.

It takes place this year between 20th and 28th November.

You can check on the website to see events taking place
across the UK - so take a look and find one near you!

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Business

Certification

The objective of the SDG Business Certification is to raise

awareness of the sustainability efforts being carried out by
a company, and promoting the incorporation of the 17 ODS
in its business strategy.

Many companies across the UK have adopted schemes to

promote sustainabilty. The BBC, PwC, ASDA and
GlaxoSmithKline have adopted cycle to work programmes
in a bid to reduce dependency on cars and switch to
cleaner modes of transport. Other examples of companies
making efforts to help meet the SDGs include cutting
single-use plastics from their cafes and restaurants,
launching social and educational enterprises, and
organising events to increase awareness of sustainable
food.

Sustainable development: UK initiatives

Since the UK committed to achieving the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals in 2015 the Government has put in
place a number of initiatives to help achieve those targets.
As part of the commitments, each nation needs to produce
at least one Voluntary National Review (VNR) in which it
updates other members on progress made in achieving the
goals.

In 2019, the UK published its first VNR in which it

highlighted progress made in key areas but also identified
other areas for improvement.

Some of the achievements to date included:

A high-quality health service, free for all at the point

of use.
High and rising standards of education.

Increasing employment, with more women and

disabled people in work.

Progress made on climate and the environment.

Some of the world’s strongest legislation on equality
issues.

Areas identified for further progress included:

Tackling injustice to ensure no one is left behind.

Further increasing efforts to address climate and

environmental issues.

Ensuring the housing market works for everybody.

Responding to mental health needs.

Supporting a growing and ageing population.

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