Elke Giacomozzi, MA elke.giacomozzi@aai-salzburg.at "Designing a sustainable present and future Sustainable development: an overview 1. origin and idea of sustainability 2. definition and concept of sustainable development (of the international community) 3. Reasons for and Key points of the concept 4. different display models and the 3 dimensions of sustainability 5. the players of sustainable development. 1
The roots of sustainability The principle of sustainability was first described by Hans Carl von Carlowitz. About 300 years ago, he demanded that only as much wood should be chopped, that could regrow through reforestation, seeding and planting. During the 20th Century out of the English word "sustainable" and through the discussions and declarations of several international conferences of the United Nations, grew the concept of sustainable development. The Limit of Growth An important milestone, which led to a rethink and develop a mission statement for sustainable development, was the study of the future of the world economy, "The Limits to Growth," which was conducted by the Club of Rome in 1972. The key conclusions of the report were: If the current increase in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production and the exploitation of natural resources continues unabated, the absolute growth limits are reached on Earth over the next hundred years. 2
Definition & concept The Brundtland Commission, also known as the World Commission on Environment and Development, published in 1987 the report "Our Common Future" in which the concept of sustainable development was first defined. That was the impetus for a global debate and for the beginning of public awareness of the issue of sustainability. From the World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development was defined as: Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Dauerhafte (nachhaltige) Entwicklung ist Entwicklung, die die Bedürfnisse der Gegenwart befriedigt, ohne zu riskieren, dass künftige Generationen ihre eigenen Bedürfnisse nicht befriedigen können. Reasons & Causes 1. the exponential population growth 2. the high population density 3. massive influence and threat caused by human action to global biogeochemical cycles 4. steady loss of biodiversity and the overuse of the environment as raw material storage and sink 1. 2. 3. 4. 3
Key Points a) the needs of all people globally and also those of future generations are at the center b) the large range spanned globally and across generations c) sustainable development links for the first time discussed so far separated areas inseparably d) the idea of sustainable development became a guideline for politics a. b. c. d. sustainability models Nachhaltigkeitsmodelle 4
The three dimensions of sustainability Die drei Dimensionen der Nachhaltigkeit Ecological sustainability Economic sustainability Social sustainability Ökologische Nachhaltigkeit Ökonomische Nachhaltigkeit Soziale Nachhaltigkeit Ecological sustainability Ökologische Nachhaltigkeit It is based on the most original idea to operate any exploitation of nature. Ecologically sustainable would be a way of life, that only so far claimed the natural bases of life, such as these can be regenerated. 5
Economic sustainability Ökonomische Nachhaltigkeit A society should not live beyond its means economically, as it would inevitably result in losses to future generations. Generally, an economic manner shall be considered as sustainable if it can be permanently operated. Social sustainability Soziale Nachhaltigkeit A State or society should be organized so as to keep the social tensions within limits and that conflicts do not escalate, but can be solved in a peaceful and civil way. It's about a right to a dignified life for all. 6
The players of sustainability Die Akteure der Nachhaltigkeit Politics Economy Civil society each of us Politics At the national level, European level, and also at the international level policy decisions affect the process of sustainable development. Of particular international importance is the United Nations Conference in Rio in 1992, with its declaration and the Agenda 21. Other key points are different follow-up conferences, most recently the conference in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 ("Rio +20"). 7
Economy Economy also has discovered the issue of sustainability for themself. It is becoming increasingly clear that non-sustainable business can bring the companies goodwill in danger. In addition to the reputation the companies have recognized that sustainable development also may bring benefits. On one hand sustainability is seen as a key strategic competitive factor for the economy and on the other hand provides companies with new challenges. Civil Society There are many civil society initiatives that aim to achieve greater sustainability: Churches, non-governmental organizations, networks, foundations, trade unions, children's and youth organizations or research institutes participate in this process actively. 8
Each of us... is encouraged to be active in the sustainable design of our society itself. Important is to look at our own consumption, for example, in fashion, tourism and food. We all may question ourselves about our own behavior in consumption of resources and think about to change towards a sustainable way of life: Step by step. Brundtland Report Our Common Future World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) 1987 http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf Rio -Erklärung über Umwelt und Entwicklung, 1992: Deutsch: http://www.un.org/depts/german/conf/agenda21/rio.pdf Englisch: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/rio_declaration_on_environment_and_development Agenda 21, 1992: AGENDA 21 englisch: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/agenda21.pdf AGENDA 21 deutsch: http://www.un.org/depts/german/conf/agenda21/agenda_21.pdf European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN) http://www.sd-network.eu/ Lexikon der Nachhaltigkeit http://www.nachhaltigkeit.info/ UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Plattform http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.html 9
Verwendete Quellen und Literatur - Bericht der World Commission on Environment and Development 1987: Our Common Future, online: www.un documents.net/wced ocf.htm (zugegriffen am 7.2.2014) - Rieß, W. 2010: Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung. Theoretische Analysen und empirische Studien, Wiesbaden. - Walser, M.: Das Konzept der nachhaltigen Entwicklung als Bezugspunkt informellen Lernens. In: Brodowski, M. et.al. (Hrsg.) 2009: Informelles Lernen und Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Budrich, 10