(Urgent Objectives and Requirements Facing the World Community Nowadays)
Sustainable development is a. fundamental objective for all European
states. The concept of sustainable development seeks continuous improvement in
the quality of life of the planet's inhabitants as well as that of future generations,
as well as presentation of the Earth's ability to sustain life in all its forms.
Sustainable development is based on democratic principles, respect for the rule of
law and fundamental human rights. Likewise, it aims to forge solidarity between
current inhabitants and future generations, while promoting a dynamic economy
with high levels of employment, education, social cohesion and environmental
protection, all in a peaceful world that is respectful of cultural diversity.
The concept of sustainability began as a response to analyses of a global
crisis, one which has been described as a "planetary emergency", an
unsustainable situation that poses a grave threat to the future of humanity.
A Threatened Future, in fact, is the title of the first chapter of Our
Common Future, the report issued by the World Commission on Environment
and Development, also known as the Brundtland Report (WCED, 1988), named
for the Norwegian politician to whom we owe the first attempt at introducing the
concept of sustainability: "Sustainable development," says Doctor Gro Harlem
Brundtland, "is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
At the time it was a totally new concept, which sought acceptance of the fact that
the world's natural resources are not as unlimited as we had previously supposed,
and of the devastating effects of the indiscriminate exploitation of such resources,
exploitation, which continues through the present day. The idea of the
unsustainability of current development is still recent, and was a totally new
concept for most people. It is new, however, in another, more profound sense.
Sustainability requires global planning; it demands that all the interconnected
problems faced by humanity be taken into consideration collectively, that these
global problems be solved on a global scale.
This implies that the issue of development and that of the environmen~ cannot be
perceIves.
Given the seriousness and urgency of the problems facing humanity today,
the United Nations established a Decade of Education for sustainable
development (2005-20 140), designating UNESCO as the entity responsible for its
promotion, calling on all educators to commit themselves to education, both
formal (from primary school through university) and informal (museums, the
media, etc.) that pays systematic attention to world conditions, in order to
promote attitudes and behaviors favorable for achieving sustainable development.
Agenda 21 proposes programs and policies to be developed at a national
and local level all around the world. Pure and simple, it's a socio-economic
action plan focused on sustainability and linked to inter-generational solidarity,
agreed upon between citizens and their local authorities for the well-being of the land within their municipalities. It favors a local approach, and as such, must
follow certain guidelines, from the fight against poverty to preservation of
biodiversity, encompassing the roles of farmers, industries and unions in the
sustainable development of each municipality. It goes beyond just the
"environment", "urban environmental quality" or even the indispensable
participation of technical professionals, as is often implied.
The elements and objectives of Agenda 21 include: the fight against
poverty, change in consumption habits, demographics and sustainability,
protection of human health, promotion of sustainable development of human
resources (human settlements), inclusion of sustainable development in decision
making, protection of the atmosphere, an integrated approach to planning ahd
managing land resources, the fight against deforestation, the fight against
desertification and drought, promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural
development, conservation of biodiversity, rational management of
biotechnology, protection of oceans and seas and management of maritime
resources, fresh water protection and management, management of toxic
products, hazardous waste management, solid waste and sewage management,
safe handling of radioactive waste. In fact, we must recognize that economic
development and the environment, cannot be separated. It is about seeing the
poverty of Southern Hemisphere and the extreme consumption of the North as
the fundamental causes of unsustainability in terms of development and
environmental crisis.
This shift towards a sustainable future requires, first and foremost, that all
actors break from strictly local-level and short-term planning, as a solution to
these problems is only possible once their global scope is fully understood.
Likewise, we must put an end to indifference, fueled by the view that the
environment is a lost cause, unresponsive to our "small" actions. This perspective
might have been considered valid when there were but a few a million people in
the world, but this has not been the case for quite some time. Lastly, we must put
stop ignoring our own responsibilities and put an end to solutions that harm
others. We can no longer build a future for ourselves at the cost of others. Such