Sustainable development is the concept that defines the need for transition and change that our planet and its inhabitants need to live in a more equitable, healthy, and environmentally friendly world.
An organization model of the company:
Sustainable development comes from the combination of two words that, placed end to end, define an organizational model of society.
- We mean improving a society’s performance (economic, social, etc.) by development.
- The term durable characterizes something that lasts over time, stable and resistant.
The combination of the two words defines sustainable development: improving the performance of a society to make it stable over time.
Sustainable development is a way of organizing society to meet the needs of the present as effectively as possible without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Today, this transition to a more sustainable model is necessary to live in a more equitable world and preserve our planet and its natural resources.
The model of a sustainable society is based on fundamental pillars and principles.
The foundations of sustainable development:
The three pillars of sustainable development:
Sustainable development presupposes a mode of organization based on three essential pillars:
- Human activities’ environmental quality limits environmental impacts and preserves ecosystems and natural resources in the long term.
- Social equity guarantees all members of society access to essential resources and services (education, health, food, housing, etc.) to meet the needs of humanity, reduce inequalities, and maintain social cohesion.
- Economic efficiency by reducing extreme poverty and guaranteeing the employment of the most significant number in economic activity with dignity. A sustainable economy is sound management of human activities without harm to humans or the environment.
These three pillars make up the challenges of sustainable development. These pillars are accompanied by fundamental principles to achieve a more sustainable society.
The fundamental principles of sustainable development:
- Solidarity between countries, peoples, generations, and members of society. For example: saving raw materials so that as many people as possible can benefit from them.
- Precaution in decisions so as not to cause disasters when it is known that there are risks to health or the environment. For example: limiting CO2 emissions to curb climate change.
- Participation of everyone, regardless of their profession or social status, ensures the success of sustainable projects. For example: setting up child and youth councils.
Responsibility of everyone, citizen, industrialist, or farmer. So that those who damage, degrade, and pollute repair. For example: charging a tax to industries that pollute a lot.
These principles are sometimes incompatible with the consumer society in which we live.
This is why many people (elected officials, associations, companies, individuals, young people, etc.) are asking that our economic system be redesigned to move towards a more sustainable society to preserve the planet and its resources.
Sustainable development is not only an urgent need, which is not a constraint but a real opportunity to redesign our society.
Why is sustainable development essential today?
In 1800, there were 900 million human beings on Earth. In 2020, our planet was home to 7.8 billion people. This strong population growth is accompanied by increased demand for goods and services and production methods that lead to environmental and social disorders.
In the 1970s, many experts and scientists sounded the alarm about the impact of human activity on the planet. Since the Industrial Revolution, our society has experienced unprecedented development, but without really measuring the consequences of the evolution of its way of life. To this were added:
- the acceleration of trade with the rest of the world (globalization);
- growing inequalities between rich and emerging countries;
- Population growth forecasts aim for 10 billion inhabitants on the planet by 2100.
Today 80% of natural resources are consumed by 20% of the world’s population. This creates areas of great wealth and great poverty. In some areas, people do not have access to drinking water, health care, education, and decently paid employment.
But how can we ensure access to food and drinking water, health, and education for all in the future? How to protect biodiversity and fight against climate change?
This is why it is urgent to find a new model: sustainable development.
Human societies will have to enter into a transition and rethink all of their activities. Many players are already committed to this transition to a mode of operation that is more respectful of the environment and human beings.
The actors of sustainable development
Everyone is affected by this transition to a new, more sustainable model of society. The various actors who are already acting, at their level, by carrying out sustainable development actions are:
- Citizens: children, young people, parents, etc.
- Eco-delegates in middle school and high school
- Educational institutions: schools, colleges, high schools, universities, campuses
- Associations and clubs
- Businesses
- Farmers
- Local authorities: cities, departments, regions, etc.
- The state
And many others… We are all concerned about sustainable development and are moving together towards a new model of society that is more respectful of the environment.