The 7 principles of sustainable development
What are the Sustainable Development Goals? The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Progress has also been limited in other regions, such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, home to 80% of the world’s population living in extreme poverty. In addition, new threats posed by climate change, conflict and food insecurity require greater efforts to lift people out of poverty.
The Sustainable Development Goals are a bold commitment to finish what we started and end poverty in all its forms and dimensions by 2030. This requires focusing on the most vulnerable, increasing access to basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters.
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The Declaration on Environment and Development was adopted by the General Assembly during the Rio de Janeiro Summit in 1992. This Declaration builds on the previous declaration on sustainable development held in Stockholm in 1972.
The Declaration seeks to foster a new form of cooperation between States, sectors and individuals. In its 27 Principles it covers such issues as environmental protection; the relationship between economic, sustainable and environmental development; cooperation among countries to protect, preserve and restore the earth’s health and natural resources; the responsibility of States to enact effective environmental laws; citizen participation in environmental protection, among others.
Dimensions of sustainability
The idea of sustainable development caused great interest and concern at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and since then it has become increasingly relevant.
Companies that adhere to the Global Compact make a serious commitment to integrate the concept of sustainability into their corporate strategy through the implementation of 10 Principles, which focus on four areas: human rights, labor relations, environment and anti-corruption.
But to promote the work of the 17 Sustainable Goals within companies is not enough, to achieve real change a great sustainable awareness in society is needed, which is why Global Compact Chile wants to give you 6 tips to implement these goals in your daily life:
Principle of environmental sustainability
We are increasingly using the terms sustainability and sustainable development to refer to broader and broader areas. The concept of sustainability emerged from a term embodied in the Burtland Report in the late 1980s. Today it represents a new paradigm of life and social development.
Thus, social sustainability and sustainable development share as a principle the idea that natural resources cannot be used irrationally. This would lead to their depletion. And since human communities depend on access to these resources, ensuring their availability is a vital issue.
“Sustainable development” is a term that first appeared in the Burtland Report (1987), where it was defined as a type of development aimed at “meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Since then, it has been understood that an activity or project is sustainable when its impact on the environment does not imply aggression or destruction in the future. Over time, the concept has diversified and expanded and has become a deeply rooted value in society. In fact, various institutions, social leaders and companies have incorporated the concept of sustainability as an integral part of their philosophy and vision.