670
N. H. Cardozo et al.
2 Sustainable Development—Concepts and Global
Discussions
The term sustainability can be absorbed by different ideologies and policies or economic and ecological biases in different ways (O’Connor 1994). Therefore, there is
difficulty for researchers, in trying to determine how sustainable development should
be defined to suit a wide variety of discourses.
It is necessary to present previous discussions that led to the emergence of the
term “sustainable development” known worldwide as well as other definitions that
appeared after the Brundtland report. In 1972, the book The Limits to Growth of
the Club of Rome promoted discussions about the possible limits to the continued
progress of society. Its central argument was based on the premise that the increase
of technological and social development could not continue since humanity would
be doomed to collapse if urgent actions to reduce or stabilize the so far exponential
growth of society were not taken (Meadows et al. 1972)
Mankind at the Turning Point (1974), also from the Club of Rome, stated that
social, industrial, and economic developments should be replaced by non-growth or
by a stagnant world economy. However, after the conclusions of “zero development”
by the Club of Rome, another hypothesis arose among researchers, where it was
emphasized a new belief of what could be done, rather than what should not be done
(Mesarovi´ c and Pestel 1974). This shift in thinking was fostered through two main
reports that culminated in the intensification of sustainable development debates
(Mitcham 1995).
The first report, the World Conservation Strategy (1980), defined Development
as “the modification of the biosphere and the application of human, financial, living
and non-living resources to satisfy human needs and improve the quality of human
life” (IUNC 1980, p. 18). Thus, it is understood that the materialization of the “limits
to growth” was based on the inclusion of strategies for the conservation of biotic and
abiotic resources, and in the definition of limits for continuous development. The
second report, Our Common Future (or the Brundtland report), which has achieved
significant prominence in the global scenario by correlating issues of environmental
protection with economic growth and global development, presented its concept of
sustainable development. The report defines sustainable development as the process
that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland 1987, p. 16). Hence, for Mitcham
(1995), Our Common Future reinforces the need for dialogue changes, which were
previously bounded to limits, and that now need to be bounded to sustainability.
Therefore, from the definition of the Brundtland report, another option has emerged,
different from the collapse or leveling of development, as pointed out in The Limits
to Growth (1972). The third possibility was a moderate development, that is, the
sustainable development, which would meet the growing needs of society without
strongly affecting the environment.
N. H. Cardozo et al.
2 Sustainable Development—Concepts and Global
Discussions
The term sustainability can be absorbed by different ideologies and policies or economic and ecological biases in different ways (O’Connor 1994). Therefore, there is
difficulty for researchers, in trying to determine how sustainable development should
be defined to suit a wide variety of discourses.
It is necessary to present previous discussions that led to the emergence of the
term “sustainable development” known worldwide as well as other definitions that
appeared after the Brundtland report. In 1972, the book The Limits to Growth of
the Club of Rome promoted discussions about the possible limits to the continued
progress of society. Its central argument was based on the premise that the increase
of technological and social development could not continue since humanity would
be doomed to collapse if urgent actions to reduce or stabilize the so far exponential
growth of society were not taken (Meadows et al. 1972)
Mankind at the Turning Point (1974), also from the Club of Rome, stated that
social, industrial, and economic developments should be replaced by non-growth or
by a stagnant world economy. However, after the conclusions of “zero development”
by the Club of Rome, another hypothesis arose among researchers, where it was
emphasized a new belief of what could be done, rather than what should not be done
(Mesarovi´ c and Pestel 1974). This shift in thinking was fostered through two main
reports that culminated in the intensification of sustainable development debates
(Mitcham 1995).
The first report, the World Conservation Strategy (1980), defined Development
as “the modification of the biosphere and the application of human, financial, living
and non-living resources to satisfy human needs and improve the quality of human
life” (IUNC 1980, p. 18). Thus, it is understood that the materialization of the “limits
to growth” was based on the inclusion of strategies for the conservation of biotic and
abiotic resources, and in the definition of limits for continuous development. The
second report, Our Common Future (or the Brundtland report), which has achieved
significant prominence in the global scenario by correlating issues of environmental
protection with economic growth and global development, presented its concept of
sustainable development. The report defines sustainable development as the process
that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland 1987, p. 16). Hence, for Mitcham
(1995), Our Common Future reinforces the need for dialogue changes, which were
previously bounded to limits, and that now need to be bounded to sustainability.
Therefore, from the definition of the Brundtland report, another option has emerged,
different from the collapse or leveling of development, as pointed out in The Limits
to Growth (1972). The third possibility was a moderate development, that is, the
sustainable development, which would meet the growing needs of society without
strongly affecting the environment.