Representative Conceptions Of Sustainable Development

Representative Conceptions Of Sustainable Development

To maximize simultaneously the biological system goals (genetic diversity, resilience, biological productivity), economic system goals (satisfaction of basic needs, enhancement of equity, increasing useful goods and services), and social system goals (cultural diversity, institutional sustainability, social justice, participation) (Barbier, 1987: 103). 

Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems (The World Conservation Union, United Nations Environment Programme & Worldwide Fund for Nature, 1991: 10). 

Sustainability is a relationship between dynamic human economic systems and larger dynamic, but normally slower-changing ecological systems, in which (a) human life can continue indefinitely, (b) human individuals can flourish, and (c) human cultures can develop; but in which effects of human activities remain within bounds, so as not to destroy the diversity, complexity, and function of the ecological life support system (Costanza, Daly, & Bartholomew, 1991: 8). 

A sustainable society is one that can persist over generations, one that is far-seeing enough, flexible enough, and wise enough not to undermine either its physical or its social systems of support (Meadows, Meadows, & Randers, 1992: 209). 

Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations. It can also be expressed as . . . leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need, try not to harm life or the environment, and make amends if you do (Hawken, 1993: 139). 

Our vision is of a life-sustaining earth. We are committed to the achievement of a dignified, peaceful, and equitable existence. We believe a sustainable United States will have an economy that equitably provides opportunities for satisfying livelihoods and a safe, healthy, high quality of life for current and future generations. Our nation will protect its environment, its natural resource base, and the functions and viability of natural systems on which all life depends (U.S. President's Council on Sustainable Development, 1994: 1). 

Sustainability is a participatory process that creates and pursues a vision of community that respects and makes prudent use of all its resources-natural, human, human-created, social, cultural, scientific, etc. Sustainability seeks to ensure, to the degree possible, that present generations attain a high degree of economic security and can realize democracy and popular participation in control of their communities, while maintaining the integrity of the ecological systems upon which all life and all production depends, and while assuming responsibility to future generations to provide them with the where-with-all for their vision, hoping that they have the wisdom and intelligence to use what is provided in an appropriate manner (Viederman, 1994: 5).

Sustainability thus goes beyond ecological efficiency to also include social sufficiency; it goes beyond "The Natural Step" (Robert, 1994) to include social and economic steps.

Sustainability may represent an emergent "hypernorm," under which a range of ethical belief systems will converge to limit the moral "free space" of organizations (Donaldson & Dunfee, 1994; Taylor, 1989). 

Organizations in harmony with sustainability will increase the quality of life in equitable ways that maintain or reduce energy/matter throughput. 

Admittedly, the suggested research agenda is extensive and radical. Does sustainability require organizations to develop a sense of place, to become rooted in communities? Do forces of globalization and the mobility of financial capital systematically work against the idea of organization-in-community? Does free trade work to the benefit of all or only serve a narrow range of established interests (Bhagwati, 1993; Daly, 1993; Lang & Hines, 1993)? Does sustainable develop ?

Some theorists argue that business is the only institution in the modern world powerful enough to foster the changes necessary for ecological and social sustainability (Hawken, 1993). However, in order to harness this power, sustainable behavior must become a source of competitive advantage (Collins & Porras, 1994; Makower, 1994; Scott & Rothman, 1994; Shrivastava, In press). There will also need to be major shifts in public policies to provide appropriate signals for pushing and pulling organizations toward sustainability (Schmidheiny, 1992).

According to The World Bank, "the achievement of sustained and equitable development remains the greatest challenge facing the human race" (1992: 1). 

If the Academy is to "matter," according to Hambrick, it must "make significant contributions to the solution of major problems facing our society" (1994: 15). Imagine the impact the Academy could have if members genuinely accepted and oriented their work in accordance with "The Earth Pledge" of the June 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development: 

"Recognizing that people's actions toward nature and each other are the source of growing damage to the environment and resources needed to meet human needs and ensure survival and development, I PLEDGE to act to the best of my ability to help make the Earth a secure and hospitable home for present and future generations.  "