Sustainable Development

• 1987 Brundtland report (Our Common Future)
• 1987 Brundtland Report

  Development that meets the presents needs without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs
• Agenda 21


  A comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally and locally
• Principles of Agenda 21

  • To combat environmental damage, poverty, and disease through global cooperation, common interest, mutual needs and shared responsibilities
  • Every local government should have their own local agenda
• Aspects of sustainable development

  • Social
  • Economic
  • Environmental
• 1st law of Thermodynamics

  • Total energy inflow = total energy outflow
  • Everything requires energy, hence, there is a cost to everything that we produce or do
• 2nd Law of Thermodynamics


  Posits that as energy is transferred some heat is being released in the process
• Human basis of sustainable development

  • Education
  • Governance
  • Social, economic & political systems of society
  • International agencies
  • International trade & finance
  • Peace & justice
  • IP & Culture
• Types of measuring the impact of human society on environment

  • Ecological footprint
  • Carbon footprint
  • Water footprint
• Ecological footprint


  • A way to measure how much we use and consume, in relation to our environment's capacity to provide and support our needs
  • It calculates our impact to our environment
• Carbon footprint


  The amount of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide—released into the atmosphere by a particular human activity
• Water footprint


  Measures the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services we use