|
On the agenda of major world summits for over a decade
The concept of sustainable development was popularized with the 1987
release of Our Common Future (also called the Brundtland Report) by the
World Commission on Environment and Development. The report defined
sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs."
Two concepts are inherent to this notion:
-
The concept of “needs” and particularly the
essential needs of the most vulnerable, to whom it is agreed the
greatest priority must be given, and
-
The idea of limits imposed by the present state of
our technology and social organization on the environment’s ability
to meet current and future needs. Thus, the objectives of economic
and social development are defined according to duration, which is
the case for all countries—developing or developed, with a market
economy or a planned economy. Interpretations may vary from one
country to another, but they must include certain common elements
and agree on the fundamental notion of sustainable development and a
strategic framework to achieve sustainability.
Development implies a progressive transformation of
the economy and society. This transformation, in the most concrete
sense of the term, may theoretically occur even in a rigid
sociopolitical framework. This said, it cannot occur if development
policies do not take such factors as access to resources and
distribution of costs and benefits into account. Even in the
strictest sense of the term, sustainable development presupposes a
concern for social equity between generations, a concern that must
extend, logically, throughout one generation.”
Our Common Future, 1987 |
Later, in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, parties to the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development endorsed
this concept, sending a clear message to all levels of governments on the
urgency of reconciling economic and social development, and environmental
protection. Sustainable development is essential to ensuring the well-being
of human communities and the preservation of life-sustaining ecoystems.
In 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, South Africa, leaders in attendance renewed their commitment
to the objectives set in Rio de Janeiro by pledging to take action on their
positions, notably by implementing national sustainable development
strategies. The Québec has taken this road.
|