Sustainable Development (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what sustainable development is, its objectives and characteristics. Also, examples and sustainable development in Mexico.

What is sustainable development?

Sustainable development (also called lasting development or sustainable development) is a model of development of society that seeks to reconcile economic and industrial needs with social and ecological or environmental balance. Its objective is that economic development does not put life on the planet under threat, so that it can be preserved for future generations.

It is a type of development that seeks a balance between three main pillars: economic development, care for the environment and the social development of the populations. This balance is known as sustainability and, to achieve it, we seek to carry out practices such as the responsible and efficient use of resources, the study of the environmental impact of some practices and the search for new forms, applications or technologies.

Many of the States, international organizations, companies and organizations around the world aim to achieve sustainable development that allows them to meet their economic objective, but without causing harm to the natural or social environment.

Origin of the term “sustainable development”

The definition of the concept “sustainable development” dates back to the 20th century, with the appearance of the environmental consequences of the socioeconomic model of the consumer society. However, the concept It was formally used in the “Brundtland Report” formulated in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. The term in English sustainable development It was worn by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.

In this report, sustainable development was defined as: “The ability to satisfy the needs of present generations without compromising the possibilities of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Since then, much has been debated about the urgency or need to achieve a form of sustainable development in different human practices and activities.

Types of sustainability

Sustainability seeks to generate environments in which there is balance in three fundamental aspects:

Economic sustainability. It seeks economic growth without generating a negative impact on the environment and, in many cases, uses methods to generate a positive impact on the natural and social environment. It involves some factors such as: obtaining sustainable, safe and continuous energy; the design of a manufacturing model that contemplates recycling and the use of non-polluting materials and the responsible use of resources.
Environmental sustainability. It seeks environmental conservation and promotes practices that contribute to reducing the impact of human activities on ecosystems. It pursues the responsible care and use of resources, water saving, and the use of renewable energy, among others.
Social sustainability. It seeks the human development of individuals and groups that are part of a society. This implies practices that promote equality and respect for the rights of all citizens.

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Characteristics of sustainable development

Sustainable development can be understood from three different and complementary perspectives: the economic, the social and the ecological. In these three areas, changes are sought to achieve an optimal result.

This is often represented by an intersection scheme or a Venn diagram, yielding four possible intersections:

Addressing only the social and economic issues leads to equitable development schemes, but not at all ecological.
Addressing only the economic and ecological issues leads to viable development schemes, but nothing social.
Addressing only the ecological and social issues leads to development schemes that are bearable, but economically unviable.

Only by addressing all three aspects at the same time can sustainable development be achieved that:

Satisfy the social needs of the population, that is, take into account aspects such as food, clothing, housing and work.
Have economic and technological processes that allow financial support over time.
Do not produce significant ecological alterations and, on the contrary, look for practices that are friendly to the natural environment.

Sustainable development goals

The objectives of sustainable development are a set of principles formulated in 2015 by the United Nations. Through these objectives we seek to: achieve a development model that does not affect the environment, promote peace, equality and respect for human rights and defend and conserve the planet's biodiversity.

These objectives are:

End of poverty. It involves goals such as eliminating extreme poverty, reducing relative poverty and guaranteeing the world's population access to basic needs.
zero hunger. It involves goals such as eliminating malnutrition and malnutrition, increasing the level of investments in the agricultural area, and promoting sustainable practices that improve performance.
Health and well-being. It involves goals such as guaranteeing access for the entire population to the health system and medicines and combating problems such as infant mortality, sexually transmitted diseases and drug abuse.
Quality education. It seeks to guarantee access to the educational system for all boys and girls in the world.
Gender equality. It involves goals such as ending the gender gaps that exist in different areas (such as work, education, social and family) and promoting equal opportunities.
Clean water and sanitation. It seeks to achieve access to drinking water for the entire world population and protect this resource.
Affordable and non-polluting energy. Seek the development of sustainable energies that are accessible to the entire population.
Decent work and economic growth. It seeks to focus on economic growth, eradicate unemployment and promote the development of medium and small businesses.
Industry, innovation and infrastructure. It seeks to achieve industrial development with sustainable practices, increase scientific research, technology development and internet access.
Reduction of inequalities. It seeks to guarantee equal opportunities for the entire population and reduce income gaps between individuals and between countries.
Sustainable cities and communities. It involves goals such as the care of heritage, the development of sustainable mobility, sustainable construction and building, access to green areas and the reduction of environmental impact.
Responsible production and consumption. It involves practices such as responsible use of resources, reuse and recycling, and waste management.
Climate action. It seeks to raise awareness about climate change and adopt practices to reduce its impact.
Underwater life It involves goals such as the conservation and care of marine spaces and coasts, the reduction of illegal fishing and the reduction of water pollution.
Life of terrestrial ecosystems. It involves the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems, their care and the management of resources.
Peace, justice and solid institutions. It involves goals such as reducing violence and corruption, strengthening institutions and access to justice.
Alliances to achieve objectives. It seeks universal cooperation in order to achieve the objectives of sustainable development.

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Examples of sustainable development

sustainable development agriculture — Sustainable agriculture encourages crop rotation.

Some examples of application of sustainability criteria are:

Sustainable agriculture. Food production for the growing human population is largely supported by agricultural work. In this process, it is necessary to find techniques and ways to produce food in an ecologically friendly way and with a positive impact on the social environment. Some sustainable agricultural practices include: using planned irrigation that does not waste water resources, reducing the use of certain fertilizers or pesticides that have a negative impact on the ecosystem, and promoting crop rotation, so as not to deplete soil nutrients through monoculture.
Sustainable fashion. The fashion industry seeks to shift towards the development of more sustainable production. This involves practices such as making garments using only natural fibers (from organic farming), to avoid synthetic textiles that take time to biodegrade and pollute. Furthermore, the concept of slow fashion (or slow fashion), which seeks to create long-lasting products and goes against the fast fashion (or fast fashion).
Sustainable transportation. Transportation is one of the main causes of air pollution, given that the burning of fossil fuels (the main input for conventional automobiles) generates a great environmental impact. Sustainable mobility seeks to promote quality public transportation, as well as the possibility of electrifying vehicles or replacing them with non-polluting and healthier options, such as bicycles.
Sustainable energy. The energy industry is looking for ways to obtain sustainable energy that, at the same time, are safe, reliable and efficient practices. Some more sustainable forms of energy are renewable energy, such as wind, hydroelectric or solar.

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Sustainable development and sustainable development

The terms “sustainable development” and “sustainable development” are often used synonymously, but there is a main difference between them.

While “Sustainable development” is an efficient process capable of lasting over a period of time ; “Sustainable development” implies an effective process that addresses an immediate need in the here and now. In this way, all sustainable development must be sustainable, but not vice versa.

Sustainable development in Mexico

Like other Latin American nations, Mexico embarked, starting in the 1980s, on the path toward sustainable development, seeking economic growth in harmony with social development and care for the environment.

Some of the most important milestones in caring for the planet began with the creation of the Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology (SEDUE) in 1982 and the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (LGEEPA) in 1988. Since then, different official organizations were created to address the search for a sustainable development model (such as the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change and the Environment Secretariat). Environment and Natural Resources) and important laws on the matter were enacted and reformed, among which the General Law of Climate Change, the Wildlife Law and the General Law of Sustainable Forest Development stand out.

However, the changes required in Mexico to move towards sustainable development are structural and represent an effort, both in the ecological and social spheres, that must be sustained by different segments of society. Some of the challenges facing the country are environmental degradation and resource depletion the advance of social marginalization and the weakening of formal employment.

To apply reforms and measures that generate economic growth and, in turn, have a positive impact on the environment and socially (and are aligned with the UN sustainable development goals), goals and challenges must be achieved such as:

An equitable distribution of income.
Reduce unemployment rates.
Lower poverty rates.
Guarantee access for the entire population to health and education.
Solve environmental problems such as the excessive use of hydrocarbons, environmental pollution and deforestation.

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