Sustainable Development

The most common definition of Sustainable Development is: ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’

This definition is further qualified by a common acceptance of there being ‘three pillars of Sustainable Development’. These pillars are identified in the slogan used at the World Summit for Sustainable Development ‘Care and respect for People; Planet and Prosperity (Commercial activities)’. It is recognised that these three pillars are of equal importance – if any one aspect is ignored or given a higher priority than others, the effect will be to unbalance and destabilise all three aspects, because they are inter-connected and interdependent. It is also recognised that these three aspects need to be addressed simultaneously – we cannot address them on a one-at- a-time basis as this would also create an imbalance.

While the above definition and explanation of the three pillars of Sustainable Development is conveniently short and concise, they do not convey or provide an adequate depth of understanding regarding the intellectual, moral and spiritual values that underlie the concept of Sustainable Development.

Firstly, it needs to be understood that Sustainable Development is essentially about ‘a value system‘. It is not a scientific formula that can be intellectually or mechanically applied to a situation. The concept of Sustainable Development is an evolutionary step forward in human consciousness, awareness and behaviour – leading to a more holistic and balanced value system.

To illustrate the evolutionary process of human thinking in very simplistic terms: humanity, at its lowest level of consciousness, operates in a purely survivalist mentality. Once having achieved the ability to survive, humanity moves forward in awareness, seeking to satisfy the desire for comforts and pleasure. Once a level of comfort has been achieved, desire for self-expression and individuality motivate the thinking and behaviour of an individual.

The concept of Sustainable Development invites us all, as individuals, to evolve beyond pure self-gratification and short-term thinking into an awareness and understanding that harm to one will eventually cause harm to all.

It invites the individual to step beyond current norms of thinking and behaviour to become conscious of the absolute interconnectedness and inter-dependence of all things.

Becoming aware that allowing poverty to exist is harmful to all, including the wealthy, and also impacts on the delicate balance of nature on Earth.
Becoming aware that allowing wasteful damage and the destruction of biodiversity and the Earth’s natural resources will have a detrimental effect on human wellbeing and our commercial activities.
Becoming aware that commercial and wealth-generation activities that ignore social and environmental consequences will in the long run be harmful to commerce and industry themselves.

But it is critically important to reiterate that if we give priority to one of the three aspects – be it people (poverty alleviation) or planet (conservation) or prosperity (business development) – we will unbalance the whole, with detrimental effect to all. We need to address all three aspects simultaneously – with equal importance attached to each of the three pillars.

In the face of environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, poverty and ill health, and the increasing cost of doing business as a result of increased social taxes and higher resource costs, the reality of the inter-connectedness and inter-dependence of People, Planet and Prosperity have become abundantly clear. The negative consequences that we see are a direct result of previously imbalanced thinking.

To highlight how different commercial Sustainable Development behaviour is from past patterns of ‘profit at all costs‘, see the article by Dr Eureta Rosenberg, ‘Sustainable Development – Maintaining Profits or Sustaining People and Planet’ in the Sustainable Development section. To gain an insight into the value system that underlies Sustainable Development, see the Topics ‘Deep Ecology and the more detailed ‘Earth Charter’.

Together, these three articles provide a clearer explanation of the intellectual, spiritual and practical value systems of Sustainable Development.Without an in-depth understanding of the value system that underlies the concept of Sustainable Development, and a commensurate change in our thinking and behaviour, no true Sustainable Development can be implemented.

To quote Albert Einstein: ‘The world we have created today has problems which cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created them.’

But with a more evolved understanding of the value system as encapsulated in the simple definition of Sustainable Development, we can indeed improve the way that humanity lives, works and interacts with the diversity of Earth’s human and non-human co-inhabitants.