Three Pillars Of Sustainable Development

1533 Words7 Pages

I agree with the assertion that in the context of Sustainable Development ‘the reality of life today is that the economy dominates environment and society.

The Concept of Sustainable Development Sustainable development refers to “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”, and was produced by the Brundtland report (WCED, 1987). The concept also takes into account the needs of the poor in developing countries by outlining achievable objectives of importance (WCED, 1987).

The Three Pillars of Sustainability
The society, environment and economy are interconnected entities which form the three pillars of sustainability (Giddings, Hopwood and O’Brien, 2002). Each of these pillars depends on each other in some way in order to operate. Priority is mainly directed towards economic performance and development as opposed to the remaining important pillars. Economic development is dependent on the society and environment in order to market products and to obtain raw materials, while society is dependent on the environment solely for survival (Giddings, Hopwood and O’Brien, 2002).

Sustainable development aims to achieve a balance between the three pillars of sustainability, ensuring that all sectors become one entity. The disadvantage associated with this model is that each pillar is given individual recognition and not recognized as a combined entity (Giddings, Hopwood and O’Brien, 2002). This results in the

Open Document