The common definition of sustainable development in literature is that usually quoted from the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission)
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:
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the concept of ¡¥needs¡¦, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which the overriding priority should be given; and |
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the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs. |
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) also provides the following definition in the corporate context.
For the business enterprise, sustainable development means adopting business strategies and activities that meet the needs of the enterprise and its stakeholders today while protecting sustaining and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future. |
