Sustainable Development

. . . . “is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” – World Commmission on Environment and Development. . (the Bruntland Commision) 1987.

Background Information & Key Dates

The United Nations Brundtland Commission report of 1987 (“Our Common Future and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro, June 1992 were the most influential occurrences that intensified and consolidated the concept of sustainable development. Agenda 21 the primary product of UNCED was the accepted action plan for this century. The full Agenda 21 declarations – click here to download.

The foremost impact of the Sustainable Development concept was via the 1994 UK National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD, 1994). This strategy amalgamated the aims and objectives of the Earth Summit and represented the UK implementation process. The Strategy included two earlier documents, ‘This Common Inheritance’ (the UK's ‘1990’ Environmental Strategy) and the EC's ‘1992’ Fifth Environmental Action Programme. The NSSD mapped a number of features that directly involve issues that have influenced the activities carried out by the Celtic Heritage Trust.

Sustainable Development is defined simply as ‘a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come’.
In June 2001, the European Council at Göteborg discussed a strategy for Sustainable Development” which would propose measures to deal with threats to our well being, such as climate change, poverty, and rising health risks. The details of this strategy ‘A sustainable Europe for a better world: A European strategy for Sustainable Development 2001’ click here to download.

Sustainable Development must also be promoted at the global level and during 2002 a second paper ‘Towards a global partnership for Sustainable Development’ was delivered and adopted by the European Commission which provided a global dimension. Click here to download.

The Celtic Heritage Trust firmly believes in the concept of sustainable development because it cuts through political and religious red tape and sets out a clear way for us to manage our planet and resources so that future generations may also have a quality of life. The European Union suggests that the vision of sustainable development links ‘economic development, protection of the environment and social justice, and these kind of values are recognised by democratic governments and political movements the world over.

The Celtic Heritage Trust has Interpreted the Concept of Sustainable Development to Mean:
	Environmental protection and responsible human use of natural resources Ensures that economic development is both balanced and equitable Improves social cohesion and inclusiveness Demand for policies that are open, transparent and accountable Moves towards co-operation that will promote sustainable development globally
However, the Celtic Heritage Trust argues that our global communities (especially those who live in the first world) are moving far too slowly along the sustainable development pathway and that unless we increase our pace many of the species that we share space with on this planet will cease to exist.

SHARE is an operational word and should be used far more often in our day to day lives. This is because we are supposed to be the ‘intelligent’ species and therefore it is us that should adopt the responsible attitude, especially as it is we that often create the actions that directly affect the existence of other species.

Please take the time to read more on how the concept of sustainable development came about.

The European Union have produced purposeful management mechanisms to enable communities’ advance sustainable development from a concept to a reality and indeed a way of life. During 2001 10 years after Rio, an assessment took place to measure the progress that had transpired since the event. The assessment conclusions in conjunction with elements of the European Union Strategy were used as the baseline documents for the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development.

In short the exercise concluded that ‘although some progress had been achieved, the expectations had not been realised and that since Rio pressure on the environment and our natural resource base had grown and that poverty had been increasing globally. It was also concluded that the turning of production and consumption patterns onto a sustainable path was in fact more rhetoric than a reality. These judgments were extremely negative and because of this the following management tools were conceived to assist the progress of sustainable development

The Celtic Heritage Trust in principle fully supports the following management mechanisms for the progression of sustainable development:

• Protect the natural resource base of economic development: Emphasising ecoefficiency and the possibility of an eco-efficiency target, as well as a measurable target on reversing the decline in natural resources by 2015. Those natural resource issues that are closely linked to economic development should be prioritised: freshwater, energy and land.
• Integrate environment and poverty eradication: The Summit should improve the understanding of the linkages between poverty and environmental degradation. Furthermore, it should promote better integration and coherence in the global development agenda and in the poverty eradication work of international financial institutions by better integrating the three pillars of sustainable development.
• Make globalisation sustainable: There are both opportunities and challenges arising from economic globalisation. The increase in international trade and in investment flows needs to become a consistently more positive factor in the pursuit of sustainability. Often this also requires action outside the trade and investment sphere proper, including inter alia addressing the regional and national imbalances in the benefits deriving from globalisation, including the digital divide, as well as building partnerships with business and industry.
• Enhance good governance and participation both at international and national level: Internationally, the question is whether the current institutional setting is able to respond to the new challenges of economic globalisation and sustainable development. At the national level, emphasise the importance of such principles as democracy, good governance, access to information and justice and participation.

• The Current Situation
  During 2004 a consultation exercise began that would provide in 2005 a review of the European Sustainable Development Strategy. This happened because since 2001 a number of changes had occurred in the EU, such as EU commitments to global initiatives and targets and enlargement (to 25 Member States). However the most important reason and the one that is of grave concern to the Celtic Heritage Trust was that there was seen to be: Persistent and increasingly apparent signs of environmental problems in the EU and globally Furthermore, another impacting ‘change’ that was identified by the EU and is of equal concern for the Celtic Heritage Trust was that: Terrorism and violence increases the instability of regions and life danger for citizens all over the world These particular concerns will inevitable affect the progress of sustainable development because terrorism is difficult to measure and is linked to political and/or religious momentums. This issue is already creating for management barriers and aggravating sustainable development. For this reason during the latter part of 2003 the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) were requested to draw up an exploratory opinion on the EU sustainable development strategy with special regard to the progress made towards achieving the strategies main objectives. From the results of this the EESC were requested to explore management options that may smooth the progress of the strategy. The full report European Economic and Social Committee (EESC, 2004) exploratory opinion can be downloaded here.
  Of importance to us is the fact that the EESC (2004) noted “that most recent studies by European Commission indicated that efforts so far remain inadequate with regards to sustainable development and that Europe still faced major challenges”. One of the management complications pointed out by the EESC (2004) was that social and political views differed considerably as to what needed to be done and by whom. What is more concerning is that there was noted to be ‘differences of opinion’ to what in fact actually constituted sustainable development, let alone the implications of production and consumption patterns. Therefore EESC concluded that one of the key tasks of a revised document was the clarification of what types of commitment would be needed if sustainable development ‘the reality’ was to occur. In the first instance this would require recognition by all concerned (we would rather like to see this reworded to say the human race) that this would involve change and that the ways and means of achieving changes could be selective and if chosen correctly, these would benefit society as a whole. On the contrary - it is clear that political and/or religious drivers such as economic competitiveness will continue to impede the progress of a ‘reality’ sustainable development because the EESC further notes that, ‘there is nowhere near a consensus, and that doubts had been raised as to whether it is possible to square Europe with sustainable development’.
  This is of great concern to the Celtic Heritage Trust and thus we agree with the EESC on the following: ‘that a healthy economy with flourishing businesses is a key condition for the further development of society, but that conversely the healthy development of society is also the direct result of the level and quality of the environment’. The EESC determined that due to a lack of clarity with regard to the ‘consequences of actions’ people were sceptic and that this was also impeding the sustainable development process, because of this the Committee urged the Commission to clarify as part of a broad social debate with organised civil society all the basic issues of understanding involved and this should ‘include issues that have so far been taboo’. Understandably the Celtic Heritage Trust and members are very interested as to what these ‘taboo’ issues are?

Obviously strategies at the European Level should develop in parallel but has this been the case? For example, the key aim of the Lisbon strategy is to ‘make Europe the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010’ the EESC noted that the sustainable strategy should gel with the Lisbon agenda and therefore will need to develop longer timeframes and indeed work towards complimentary methodologies which will link ‘environment, employment and competitiveness more closely with issues of distributive and intergenerational justice’.

Clearly this is what sustainable development is about- how to find and keep a sustainable balance between market forces, society and the environmental.

To help achieve this balance the EESC suggest that by implementing a consistent sustainable development policy a regulatory process will continue on free market forces derived from amongst other things environmental and social obligations.

This ‘firm hand’ is fully supported by the Celtic Heritage Trust because for some sectors this will mean increased growth . . although conversely for those that engage in unsustainable activities this action will mean certain economic decline, this is one of the ‘changes’ that the human race will need to accept if we are to provide a future for the next generation. However, the implications of this action are wide ranging because it will most certainly mean renewed debate about taxation, subsidies, licensing and regulation.

There is evidence that the original sustainable development strategy (Gothenburg summit) is perceived to be outdated, this implicates a need for an adaptive management approach to be incorporated into the new strategy. This would provide a flexible mechanism that would ensure that future strategy ‘amendments’ can occur within a tighter time frame.

Amendments to the sustainable development strategy will need to explore in more detail the balance between the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainability and the coherence of individual EU policies. More importantly modifications should improve communication channels that help interlink sustainable development strategies at national, regional and local levels. Furthermore it is clear that future strategies should take into account external aspects such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and factors linked to international trade factors. To this end the EESC suggests that there could be a compensation element that will alleviate for sectoral trade disadvantages.

During June 2005 the EU consolidated the following guiding principles for sustainable development.

DECLARATION ON GUIDING PRINCIPLES
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development is a key objective set out in the Treaty, for all European Community policies. It aims at the continuous improvement of the quality of life on earth of both current and future generations. It is about safeguarding the earth’s capacity to support life in all its diversity. It is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights including freedom and equal opportunities for all. It brings about solidarity within and between generations. It seeks to promote a dynamic economy with full employment and a high level of education, health protection, social and territorial cohesion and environmental protection in a peaceful and secure world, respecting cultural diversity.

To achieve these aims in Europe and globally, the European Union and its Member States are committed to pursue and respect, on their own and with partners, the following objectives and principles:

Key Objectives

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Safeguard the earth's capacity to support life in all its diversity, respect the limits of the planet's natural resources and ensure a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. Prevent and reduce environmental pollution and promote sustainable production and consumption to break the link between economic growth and environmental degradation.

SOCIAL EQUITY AND COHESION
Promote a democratic, socially inclusive, cohesive, healthy, safe and just society with respect for fundamental rights and cultural diversity that creates equal opportunities and combats discrimination in all its forms.

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Promote a prosperous, innovative, knowledge-rich, competitive and eco-efficient economy which provides high living standards and full and high-quality employment throughout the European Union.

MEETING OUR INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Encourage the establishment and defend the stability of democratic institutions across the world, based on peace, security and freedom. Actively promote sustainable development worldwide and ensure that the European Union’s internal and external policies are consistent with global sustainable development and its international commitments.

Policy Guiding Principles

Promotion and Protection of Fundamental Rights
Place human beings at the centre of the European Union’s policies, by promoting fundamental rights, by combating all forms of discrimination and contributing to the reduction of poverty and the elimination of social exclusion worldwide.

Solidarity Within and Between Generations
Address the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs in the European Union and elsewhere.

Open and Democratic Society
Guarantee citizens’ rights of access to information and ensure access to justice. Develop adequate consultation and participatory channels for all interested parties and associations.

Involvement of Citizens
Enhance the participation of citizens in decision-making. Promote education and public awareness of sustainable development. Inform citizens about their impact on the environment and their options for making more sustainable choices.

Involvement of Businesses and Social Partners
Enhance the social dialogue, corporate social responsibility and private-public partnerships to foster cooperation and common responsibilities to achieve sustainable production and consumption.

Policy Coherence and Governance
Promote coherence between all European Union policies and coherence between local, regional, national and global actions in order to enhance their contribution to sustainable development.

Policy Integration
Promote integration of economic, social and environmental considerations so that they are coherent and mutually reinforce each other by making full use of instruments for better regulation, such as balanced impact assessment and stakeholder consultations.

Use Best Available Knowledge
Ensure that policies are developed, assessed and implemented on the basis of the best available knowledge and that they are economically sound and cost-effective.

Precautionary Principle
Where there is scientific uncertainty, implement evaluation procedures and take appropriate preventive action in order to avoid damage to human health or to the environment.

Make Polluters Pay
Ensure that prices reflect the real costs to society of production and consumption activities and that polluters pay for the damage they cause to human health and the environment.