SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 Background: The concept of sustainable development was described by the 1987 Brundtland
Commission Report as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

 This most widely accepted definition of Sustainable Development was given by the Brundtland
Commission in its report Our Common Future (1987).

 Subsequently, United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were signed in 2000
which committed world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental
degradation, and discrimination against women.

o Each MDG has targets set for 2015 and indicators to monitor progress from 1990 levels.

 SDGs are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

o They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty,
inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice etc.

 In 2015, all the countries in the United Nations adopted the 2030 Ageda for Sustainable
Development, which sets out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals and their related targets.

o It sets out 17 Goals, which include 169 targets to achieve them all by 2030.

DEFINITION

 Sustainable development, as defined by the United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development (UNCED), is about meeting the present generation’s needs without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

o The key terms in this definition are “needs” and “future generations,” emphasizing the
equitable distribution of resources.

o “Sustainable development” also means improving the material standard of living for
those at the grassroots level, particularly the poor.

o Sustainable development improvement includes factors such as increased income,

access to education, healthcare, sanitation, and clean water.

 Furthermore, it aims to reduce absolute poverty by providing secure livelihoods while

minimizing resource depletion, environmental damage, cultural disruption, and social
instability.
  Sustainable development strives to meet the basic needs of all, especially the impoverished
majority, in areas like employment, food, energy, water, and housing, fostering growth across
various sectors to fulfill these needs.

HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AS FUTURE GUARDIANS?

 The Brundtland Commission underscores the importance of protecting future generations by

leaving them a planet that is in good environmental condition.

 This resonates with the argument put forth by environmentalists, emphasizing a moral
obligation to hand over Earth to the next generation in a better state than we inherited it.

 To achieve sustainable development, the present generation must promote development that
enhances the natural and built environment while ensuring:

 Conservation of Natural Assets: Protecting and conserving natural resources.

 Preservation of Ecological Regeneration: Maintaining the Earth’s natural ecological

systems’ regenerative capacity.

 Avoiding Imposition on Future Generations: Ensuring that the development

process doesn’t burden future generations with added costs or risks.

 Herman Daly, an environmental economist, outlines key steps for achieving sustainable
development:

 Population Control: Limiting the human population to a level within the Earth’s
carrying capacity.

 Efficient Technology: Fostering technological progress that is input-efficient rather

than resource-consuming.

 Sustainable Resource Use: Extracting renewable resources at a sustainable rate,

ensuring that it doesn’t exceed the rate of regeneration.

 Non-Renewable Resources: Managing non-renewable resources so that the rate of

depletion doesn’t surpass the rate of creating renewable substitutes.

 Pollution Mitigation: Correcting inefficiencies arising from pollution.

 In 2015, the United Nations formulated 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be

achieved by 2030. These goals cover various aspects of sustainable development, including
poverty alleviation, clean energy, climate.

Biodiversity & Environment

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Sustainable Development

 20 Jan 2020

 17 min read

Tags:

 GS Paper - 3

 Inclusive Growth

 Environmental Pollution & Degradation

 Conservation

 International Treaties & Agreements

Why in News

 NITI Aayog has released the second edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) India
Index (SDG Index 2.0).

 The index documents the progress made by India’s States and UTs towards achieving the 2030
SDG targets.

 2020 will be the 5th anniversary of the adoption of SDGs by the United Nations (UN).

What is Sustainable Development?

 ‘Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs’.

 This most widely accepted definition of Sustainable Development was given by the Brundtland
Commission in its report Our Common Future (1987).

 Sustainable development (SD) calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive,
sustainable and resilient future for people and planet.

CORE ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Three core elements of sustainable development are

  economic growth,
 social inclusion and
 environmental protection.

 Environmental Sustainability:

o It prevents nature from being used as an inexhaustible source of resources and

ensures its protection and rational use.

o Aspects such as environmental conservation, investment in renewable energy,

saving water, supporting sustainable mobility, and innovation in sustainable
construction and architecture, contribute to achieving environmental sustainability
on several fronts.

 Social Sustainability:

o It can foster gender equality, development of people, communities and cultures to

help achieve a reasonable and fairly-distributed quality of life, healthcare and
education across the Globe.

 Economic Sustainability:

o Focuses on equal economic growth that generates wealth for all, without harming
the environment.

o Investment and equal distribution of economic resources.

o Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimension

GLOBAL INITIATIVES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 The Stockholm Conference,1972: It was the first step towards putting environmental
concerns on the global agenda.

 It resulted in the Stockholm Declaration which contained principles and an Action

Plan containing recommendations for environmental policy.

 UNEP was set up in 1972 to serve as a catalyst in developing and coordinating an

environmental focus in the programmes of other organisations.

 The Earth Summit, 1992: This was a direct consequence of the Brundtland Commission’s
Report. It was held in Rio de Janeiro. The results of the Conference were the following
documents:

o The Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

o The Convention on Biological Diversity

o The Statement on Forest Principles

 o The Rio Declaration

o Agenda 21

 Kyoto Protocol,1997

 Rio +10, 2002: A 10-year assessment of the Rio outcomes (Rio +10) took the shape of the
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg.

 Ramsar Convention, 1971

 The World Heritage Convention, 1972: It identifies and conserves the world’s cultural and
natural heritage. It draws up a list of ‘heritage sites’, which are cultural, natural or mixed
areas of ‘outstanding universal value’ and therefore need to be preserved for all humanity.

 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
1973

 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), 1979

 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985

 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1987

 Basel Convention, 1989

 Convention on Biological Diversity,1992

 Rotterdam Convention,1998

 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,2001

 Climate change mitigation strategies: Carbon sequestration, Carbon sink, Carbon Credit,
Carbon trading, Carbon offsetting, Carbon Tax, Geo-engineering.

 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

 UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

 Paris Agreement 2015

 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

o To bring sustainable development in the mainstream United Nations (UN) launched

the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs.

o This universal, integrated and transformative agenda aims to spur actions that will
end poverty and build a more sustainable world over the next 15 years.

o There are 17 goals and 169 targets specific targets to be achieved by 2030. Reaching
the goals requires action on all fronts – governments, businesses, civil society and
people everywhere all have a role to play.
 o SDGs are not legally binding.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRESS

As per the Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2019

 Extreme poverty has declined considerably.

 The under-5 mortality rate fell by 49 % between 2000 and 2017.
 Immunizations have saved millions of lives.
 The vast majority of the world’s population now has access to electricity.
 Countries are taking concrete actions to protect our planet: marine protected
areas have doubled since 2010.
 Countries are making concerted efforts to address illegal fishing.

As per the Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2019

 Increasing inequality among and within countries requires urgent attention.

 3 out of every 4 stunted children live in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
 Young people are more likely to be unemployed than adults.
 Barriers in achieving gender equality.
 Global hunger has been on the rise after a prolonged decline.

METHODOLOGIES

Sustainable Development Index (SDI), 2019

o It is released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

o The SDI seeks to help countries identify gaps that must be closed in order to achieve
SDGs by 2030 and to identify priorities for early action.
o India ranked 115 out of 162 countries.

INDIA’S PROGRESS

Significant progress in goals on eliminating poverty, providing decent work, economic growth, climate
action and life on land.

 Targeted interventions by the Government such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala,
Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, Ayushman Arogya Mandir, PM-Mudra
Yojana, Saubhgaya, Start-up India etc. had impact and led to rapid improvement.
 All States have shown an improvement in overall score
 Overall SDG score for the country is 71 for 2023-24, significant improvement from 66 in 2020-21
and 57 in 2018 (Baseline report).
 Key interventions facilitating SDG achievements include:
 Over 4 crore houses under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY),
 11 crore Toilets & 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes in rural areas
 10 crore LPG connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana,
 Tap water connections in over 14.9 crore households under Jal Jeevan Mission
 Over 30 crore beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana
 Coverage of over 80 crore people under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)
 Access to 150,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir which offer primary medical care and
provide affordable generic medicines
 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹34 lakh crore made through PM-Jan Dhan
accounts.
 The Skill India Mission has led to over 1.4 crore youth being trained and upskilled
and has reskilled 54 lakh youth
 PM Mudra Yojana sanctioned 43 crore loans aggregating to ₹22.5 lakh crore for
entrepreneurial aspirations of the youth besides Funds of Funds
 Start Up India and Start Up Guarantee schemes assisting the youth
 The Saubhagya scheme for access to electricity