Concept of Sustainable Development
The Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland coined 'sustainable development' term in the 1987 World Conference on the Changing Atmosphere, which along with economic growth and environmental protection go hand-in-hand around the world. As a result international environmental cooperation is necessary needed for better future. Yet, Brundtland suggest in her report entitled Our Common Future that creating separately existing environmental institutions is not enough, because environmental issues are an integral part of all development policies. They are crucial economic considerations and sector policies and should be integrated as part of energy decisions, social issues, and other aspects of development project. Nevertheless, there are conceptual overgeneralisation (IUCN, 2006), overemphasized (Langhelle,1999), and overuse (Temple, 1992) as well as different perception in the terms of sustainable development (Wikipedia, 2009; IUCN, 2006; Kates et al., 2005).
Definition of Sustainable Development
Generally, The Brundtland Report defined sustainable as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". However, there are many different interpretations about "Sustainable Development" as stated here:
- Pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future (Wikipedia, 2009).
- Alternative strategy concerning development of humanity (Gawor, 2007)
- Development path along which the maximisation of human well-being for today's generations does not lead to declines in future well-being (OECD, 2001).
- Combination of several core humanity beliefs: technological and economic optimism, social and political liberalism, and environmental reformism (adapted from Munro, 1995).
