Sustainability: The Over-Arching Concept in Environmental Science and Development

Abstract

The introduction focuses on the history of the three key terms in this review: environmental science, development and sustainability. The other two sections are devoted to sustainability in environmental science and sustainability in development. The problem-solving interdisciplinary nature and ethical considerations in environmental science are highlighted. The right to development and the unattended negatives of development are discussed. The three components of sustainability (economic, social, environmental) and their relationships are explained. The pervasive nature of sustainability in environmental science: renewable (e.g.: forests, fisheries, wildlife) and non-renewable (e.g.: minerals) natural resources, water management, agriculture, etc. are emphasized. The historical odyssey of the term, sustainable development, from its first mention nearly 50 years ago to Brundtland’s Our Common Future that generated almost worldwide political consensus and the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly at its seventieth session is outlined. The conclusion stresses that in addition to the adoption of the sustainability concept in management of resources and development, international efforts on the reduction of human population growth rates, emission of greenhouse gases and pollution should be intensified for a sustainable future.