Sustainable Development Strategy Analysis

The first Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted in 2001 by the European Union. It has since been renewed in 2006 and in 2009. (5) In 2006, the revised document laid out its strategy as to meet the challenges of sustainable development more effectively. The aims involved were to improve the population’s quality of life, to use resources more efficiently and to ensure environmental protection and social cohesion. (6) In 2009, the revised document laid out its strategy saying a number of areas needed improvement in environmental areas such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, loss of natural resources and reducing transport congestion. In 1997, ‘Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland’ was published. This helped to develop and implement policies in some sectors. This national document was revised in 2002 and showed that the Irish population was increasing. (5) This has since changed as a result of the crisis

(1) Sustainable Development is ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. This definition is in ‘Our Common Future’ or the Brundtland report which was wrote by Gro Harlem Brundtland and published in 1987. (2) The environment and human beings make up sustainable development. The needs of poor people have been identified as a priority. There are two vital aspects of sustainable development. These are to satisfy the basic human needs and to ensure the survival of human beings and living creatures. This development is as much about the people as it is about nature and the environment. (1) There are three core pillars of sustainability. They are the environment, the economic and the social. The aim of these core pillars is to promote the wellbeing of citizens now and in the future.