500
K. Yang
comes with destruction of the environment) to “complementary” (development and
environmental protection proceed in parallel). Based on explorations in the 1970s
and 1980s, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, aka
Brundtland Commission) published the Our Common Future in 1987, debuting the
concept of sustainable development. From the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer to the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
(IGBP) of International Council for Science (ICSU), from the Human Dimensions of
Global Change Programme (HDGCP) co-chaired by the International Federation of
Institutes for Advanced Study (IFIAS), International Social Science Council (ISSC)
and United Nations University to the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1993—all these programs and events have shown
that sustainable development has become a cross-disciplinary subject encompassing
natural, life and social sciences and a guiding action program for the international
community.
Sustainable development is a norm governing the changing relation between man
and environment, but no agreement has been reached on its connotations and extensions yet. A generally accepted definition comes from the Brundtland Report—development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. This definition, however, simply emphasizes the
temporal dimension but neglects the spatial dimension of sustainable development.
The spatial dimension ranges from the global level to regional level horizontally,
and from natural circles to different sectors of human activities vertically. These
spaces are relatively independent while mutually affecting each other. The interaction between vertical spaces is self-evident, while that between horizontal spaces
takes the form of regional effects of global changes as well as global effects of
regional changes.
Therefore, sustainable development should reflect both the relative independence
of the globe, regions and sectors and their mutual effects. Spatial dimension is its
qualitative feature, so it must be reflected in the definition. The author believes
sustainable development can be better defined as follows: it meets the needs of the
present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs; it meets the interests of both local population and global population.
This definition consists of four important interrelated aspects.
(1) General sustainable development: general methods and actions of theoretical
studies of sustainable development;
(2) Sectorial sustainable development: it meets the needs of a specific sector
without compromising the ability of the whole world to meet its needs. Examples include ecological or sustainable agriculture, ecologically sustainable
industry, and sustainable housing and transportation;
(3) Regional sustainable development: it meets the needs of local population
without compromising the ability of global population to meet their own needs.
Here region may refer to a bloc of states, a state, or areas, including cities, within
a state.
(4) Global sustainable development: it meets the needs of the whole world.
K. Yang
comes with destruction of the environment) to “complementary” (development and
environmental protection proceed in parallel). Based on explorations in the 1970s
and 1980s, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, aka
Brundtland Commission) published the Our Common Future in 1987, debuting the
concept of sustainable development. From the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer to the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
(IGBP) of International Council for Science (ICSU), from the Human Dimensions of
Global Change Programme (HDGCP) co-chaired by the International Federation of
Institutes for Advanced Study (IFIAS), International Social Science Council (ISSC)
and United Nations University to the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1993—all these programs and events have shown
that sustainable development has become a cross-disciplinary subject encompassing
natural, life and social sciences and a guiding action program for the international
community.
Sustainable development is a norm governing the changing relation between man
and environment, but no agreement has been reached on its connotations and extensions yet. A generally accepted definition comes from the Brundtland Report—development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. This definition, however, simply emphasizes the
temporal dimension but neglects the spatial dimension of sustainable development.
The spatial dimension ranges from the global level to regional level horizontally,
and from natural circles to different sectors of human activities vertically. These
spaces are relatively independent while mutually affecting each other. The interaction between vertical spaces is self-evident, while that between horizontal spaces
takes the form of regional effects of global changes as well as global effects of
regional changes.
Therefore, sustainable development should reflect both the relative independence
of the globe, regions and sectors and their mutual effects. Spatial dimension is its
qualitative feature, so it must be reflected in the definition. The author believes
sustainable development can be better defined as follows: it meets the needs of the
present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs; it meets the interests of both local population and global population.
This definition consists of four important interrelated aspects.
(1) General sustainable development: general methods and actions of theoretical
studies of sustainable development;
(2) Sectorial sustainable development: it meets the needs of a specific sector
without compromising the ability of the whole world to meet its needs. Examples include ecological or sustainable agriculture, ecologically sustainable
industry, and sustainable housing and transportation;
(3) Regional sustainable development: it meets the needs of local population
without compromising the ability of global population to meet their own needs.
Here region may refer to a bloc of states, a state, or areas, including cities, within
a state.
(4) Global sustainable development: it meets the needs of the whole world.