On Sustainability
There
is hardly any term which by the years of its existence has been used and abused
in the latest decade like Sustainable Development. It is rather a concept or
a criteria than a concrete strategic plan.
In 1987, the "World Commission on Environment and Development" led by Norway's
Premier, Gro Harlem Brundtland, published a report on the actual situation of
human society. It considered the fact that a long term perspective has become
inevitable for planning human actions, as our impact by the last decades has
come to endanger more and more the natural base of all life on this planet.
A fundamental result of this report was the definition of the strategy to prevent
the obvious danger deriving from human activities seeking materialistic welfare
by whatever means:
"Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable - to ensure that it
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs." (Our Common Future, 1987)
In 1992, the Agenda 21, an agreement of all countries participating at the Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro, declared Sustainable Development to be a global strategy
to face with joined forces the challenges in economical, social and ecological
fields. Since then, the term has been in the discussion, and though its broadness
hardly offers a concrete action plan, it still must be seen as the all-embracing
strategic idea to prevent a soon collapse of the fundaments of human society.
Since the very beginning of Sustainable Development, the corporate sector was
considered a central player in the realisation of sustainability. Business was
no more a problem only, but part of the solution. Sustainable Development must
always be seen by its significance for the society as a whole as for the subject
itself. Sustainability in business today means not only to contribute to long-lasting
economical system, but also to position a company in a way that makes it resist
to the fast and fundamental changes of corporate environment. So, the interest
in sustainability has become more than an altruistic idealism, it now also means
that an organisation has to legitimate its actions by corresponding to the demands
of ecological and social fairness, otherwise it will not maintain its "social
license to operate".
Such activity is always run by people, and as a long-term strategy, Sustainable
Development is based on both the will and the ability of the upcoming generation
to contribute to it. As a dynamic concept that is still developing and being
promoted, it also demands a clear and strong leadership from those who will
take responsibility from now on.
AIESEC is based on values reflected in and sought by Sustainable Development.
Since her participation in the Rio Summit in 1992, AIESEC has been actively
involved in the international debate on Sustainability. Many projects, conferences,
trainings etc. have dealt with the subject. AIESEC has certainly become one
of the largest forums of Sustainable Development for young people. The project
"AIESEC meets EXPO 2000" is just another contribution of our association
to the debate of this pressing issue concerning expecially the young.
More articles on Sustainable Development:
Three Decades of Limits to Growth: How much Time
is still left? by Uwe Möller, Secretary-General, Club of Rome
EXPO brought us all a step closer
to "One World" by Marion Frank and Sabine Tonscheidt, German
Technical Co-operation (GTZ)
Building an Equitable World
by James Wolfensohn, President, The World Bank Group
The "Generational
Justice Principle": A Vision for the 21st Century by Jörg
Tremmel, Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations