Sustainable Development: an Introduction

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Sustainable Development an Introduction

• Craig Jeffrey

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Lecture Aims

• To introduce the history of ideas of environment
  and development from 1972-1990
• To introduce the concept of sustainable
  development
• To outline some of the weaknesses of the concept
  of sustainable development

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Lecture Structure

• 1. The Stockholm Conference 1972
• 2. World Conservation Strategy 1980
• 3. Brundtland Report 1987
• 4. Sustainable Development

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Grand Theories of DevelopmentWhere was the
environment?

• A resource, to be used for economic growth
• Something to be traded off against modernisation
  and growth
• The past, tradition modernity was
  technological, futurist, bright, clean.
• Especially true of modernization theory

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The Stockholm Conference

• 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment
• Brought together 113 countries from North and
  South
• Argued the need to integrate environmental
  protection with development
• Primarily concerned with issues arising from
  industrialisation

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Outcomes

• The creation of the United Nations Environment
  Programme (UNEP)
• Set in train greater scientific co-operation
  (e.g. climate change)
• Helped encourage the World Conservation Strategy

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The World Conservation Strategy

• Published in 1980 by WWF, IUCN and UNEP
• Stressed importance of international problems
  e.g. management of the global commons - sea, air.
• Emphasised people-centred development
• Several countries launched National Action Plans

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WCS Problems

• Did not anticipate political obstacles to meeting
  conservation goals
• Abstract language humans in the ecosystem
• Alarmist? Basic message conservation or disaster
• Some nation-states felt threatened by global
  nature of WCS

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The Brundtland Report

• 1983 UN established the World Commission on
  Environment and Development.
• Chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland.
• 1987 Brundtland Report published

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Key Features of the Brundtland Report

• Popularised term sustainable development
  defined as development which meets the needs
  of the present generation without compromising
  the ability of the next generation to meet their
  needs
• 2. Discussed environment and development
  together, e.g. links between land degradation and
  poverty

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Key Features of the Brundtland Report (cont.d)

• 3. Begins with people and then discusses type of
  environmental policies required to meet social
  and economic goals.
• 4. Concerned with reforming global financial
  system in favour of the global south, e.g. ending
  protectionism in the global north
• 5. Advocates massive capital flow to the global
  south

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Strengths of Sustainable Development concept

• Places environmental concerns at the forefront
• Encourages consideration of environmental and
  social questions together
• Acts as a rallying call for environmental groups

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The Sustainable Development Triangle
Environmental sustainability
Sustained economic growth
Sustained improvement in social well-being
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ButSustainable Development may be too
vague...Four common meanings are

• 1) literal sustaining anything
• 2) ecological sustaining the ecological basis of
  human life
• 3) social sustaining the social basis of human
  life
• 4) economic sustaining growth

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Implications of vagueness

• May promote consensus building, BUT
• Often prevents focused policies
• West may manipulate ideas of SD to attach
  conditions to aid
• Powerful groups WITHIN poorer countries may use
  ideas of SD to prevent change

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Conclusions

• From early 1970s increased concern with possible
  negative impact of development on conservation
  and the environment
• In 1980s shifted to emphasis on sustainable
  development (SD)
• Need to consider the power of words how is SD
  deployed?
• See www.iisd.org/timeline/