1. Sustainable Development

2. Sustainable Development: Definition “Sustainable Development seeks to meet the aspirations and the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

3. History of the Concept  Elaborated by the Brundtland Commission  Endorsed at the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992)  Addresses controversy on whether growth and development are inherently destructive to the environment.  Lack of sustainability results both from affluence and poverty

4. Endorsed by Development Organizations  Concerns of developed and developing countries  Development and environment not incompatible  Need to eradicate poverty  Some forms of development more sustainable  Efficiency and win-win approaches  Technology transfer  Policy development

5. Is SD a useful concept? Or, is it a misleading concept and a contradiction in terms?

6. Measuring Sustainable Development  The ESI http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/indicators/ESI/  Objectives  Add substance to the concept  Compare countries  What drives sustainability

7. ESI Variables  Environmental Systems  Reducing Environmental Stresses  Human Vulnerability  Social and Institutional Capacity  Global Stewardship

8. ESI 2001 Ranking

11. Are Richer Countries More Sustainable?  The Environmental Kuznets Curve

12. Measuring Sustainable Development  Ecological footprints: http://www.progress.org/ Measures “the amount of renewable and non- renewable ecologically productive land area required to support the resource demands and absorb the wastes of a given population or specific activities”

13. Measuring Sustainable Development Surce of dashboard: http://esl.jrc.it/dc/ef_rp/ef_fvc.htm