Simple definition of Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is the idea that human societies must live and meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Concretely, sustainable development is a way of organizing society so that it can exist in the long term. This implies taking into account both current imperatives and those of the future, such as the preservation of the environment and natural resources or social and economic equity.

The official definition of sustainable development was developed for the first time in The Bruntland Report in 1987. This report defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Pillars of sustainable development

Unlike economic development, sustainable development is a development that takes into account three dimensions: economic, environmental and social. The three pillars of sustainable development that are traditionally used to define it are: the economy, the social and the environment. The particularity of sustainable development is to be at the crossroads of these 3 pillars.

Goals of Sustainable Development

The fundamental goals of sustainable development are equity among nations, generations and individuals, ecological integrity and economic efficiency. The achievement of these three objectives is based on the following measures:

•    Ensure social equity: enable the fulfillment of the basic needs of human communities for the present and the future, at local and global level, and the improvement of the quality of life (access for all to employment, to education, medical care and social services, quality housing, respect for human rights and freedoms, and the participation of different groups in society in decision-making processes).
•           To preserve the integrity of the environment: to integrate, in all social, cultural and economic actions, the concern to maintain the vitality, diversity and reproduction of terrestrial and marine natural species and ecosystems. This is done through environmental protection measures, the restoration, development and maintenance of species-critical habitats and the sustainable management of the use of the ecosystems exploited.
•     Improve economic efficiency: foster optimal management of human, natural and financial resources to meet the needs of human communities. This, through the empowerment of businesses and consumers with regard to the goods and services they produce and consume as well as through the adoption of appropriate government policies (polluter / user pays principle, internalisation of environmental and social costs, eco taxation, etc.)

Concrete examples of sustainable development

Concrete examples of sustainable development policy implemented in many countries include:

•           Energy transition, which aims to transform the way we produce energy to make it more sustainable, especially by using renewable energies
•           Biodiversity protection policy, which aims to protect certain species and certain areas in order to avoid the disappearance of endangered species, for example
•           Circular economy policy, which aims to maximize material recycling and optimize resources use while limiting waste.
•         The various plans for regulating the use of pesticides and chemical substances, which aim to reduce pollution or phenomena such as ocean acidification.

 Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development

https://www.acciona.com/sustainable-development/

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/2159