About the issue
Sustainable development (SD) is an evolving
concept. The notion of SD was first introduced in
the 1980 World Conservation Strategy (WCS), which
was developed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Our Common Future, better known
as the Brundtland Report, describes sustainability as
follows. This is a widely accepted definition of the term:
'Humanity has the ability to make development
sustainable - to ensure that it meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs'
History
Sustainability and the conservation of the environment became a
topic of interest in international negotiations 1972 at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
This conference laid the foundation for further summits with a
focus on the environment and sustainable development.
Most notable are the 1982 World Commission on Environment and Development
(WCED or Brundtland Commission); the 1992 Rio
Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and the 2002 World Summit
on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 2012 UN
Conference on Sustainable Development (commonly referred to as
the
Earth Summit) is again being held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
Sustainable development and sustainable consumption
Sustainable development and consumption go hand in hand.
Understanding the impact of our consumption choices is a vital part
of securing a safe and sustainable future for all. There is global
recognition that unsustainable patterns of consumption have social
and environmental impacts worldwide.
Sustainable consumption (SC) is about consumers taking
responsibility for the impact of the goods and services they
consume, for both present and future generations. It is also about
consuming in an economically, socially and environmentally
sustainable way. Essential to this is full and fair information
about sustainable products and services.