Introduction to Sustainable Development

Learning Outcome:
Students will be able to :
a) discuss about the characteristics of sustainable development
b) grasp the scope of discussion under sustainable development as a branch of law

1. Sustainable Development: An Introduction Preeti Kana Sikder Assistant Professor Department of Law & Justice

2. Pre-Class Poll 1. Which one of the following best describes 'development '? 1 : Collective process of change that improves quality of life for human beings and other communities 2 : Process of improvement that enhances the quality of life for civilised people 3 : Process of change toward improvement of human life .

3. Pre-Class Poll 2. What is sustainable development? ( Single Choice) 1: A method for solving global problems 2: A way of understanding the world 3: Both of the above

4. Prof. Jeffery Sachs, Columbia University Advised Dr. Brundtland on a Health Commission during 2000, 2001 which provided inputs to the Millennium Development Goals. Was the Special advisor on the MDGs in 2001 Author of the book ‘The Age of Sustainable Development”

5. Sustainable Development The Background

6. Population of the World Today at 1:25 PM (Source: Worldometer )

7. These billions of people are looking for their foothold in the world economy They are doing so in a world economy that is increasingly interconnected through trade, finance, technologies, production flows, migration, and social networks. The scale of the world economy, now estimated to produce $90 trillion of output per year (a sum called the gross world product, or GWP), is unprecedented 

8. The world economy is not only remarkably unequal but also remarkably threatening to Earth itself for a species that depends on the beneficence of nature, or on what the scientists call “environmental services,” we are doing a poor job of protecting the physical basis of our very survival! The gigantic world economy is creating a gigantic environmental crisis , one that threatens the lives and wellbeing of billions of people and the survival of millions of other species on the planet, if not our own.

9. “The girl who silenced the world for five minutes” In 1992, at age 12, Severn Cullis -Suzuki raised money with members of an organisation she formed (ECO) to attend the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Along with group members Michelle Quigg , Vanessa Suttie , and Morgan Geisler , Cullis -Suzuki presented environmental issues from a youth perspective at the summit, where she gave her speech.

10. “I am only a child, yet I know, if all the money that is spent on war was spent on finding environmental answers, ending poverty and making treaties, this world would be a wonderful place to live.” __ Severn- Cullis -Suzuki (1992)

11. “At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us how to behave in the world. You teach us to not fight with others, to work things out. To respect others. To clean up our mess. To not hurt other creatures. To share, not be greedy. Then why do you go out and do things you tell us not to do? You grown-ups say you love us…but I challenge you, make yours actions reflect your words.” __ Severn- Cullis -Suzuki (1992)

12. Key points from Suzuki’s Speech at Rio+20 Human beings have become a geological force forcing unwanted transition Sustainable transition has not been made, have not come close There was more to the story - Insufficient citizen engagement, relocalising , can’t wait for leaders to do things for us Success of current economy remains the foremost priority for politicians even when ecosystems decline Ample collusion between Governments and Corporations is evident The current global meta-strategy is to turn everything from nature into profit Massive paradigm shift still needed for humanity to exist with dignity We are desperate to hear the truth, some one to cut through the rationalisation of the destruction of our planet Intergenerational Love can stop intergenerational crimes

13. As an intellectual pursuit, sustainable development tries to make sense of the interactions of three complex systems: the world economy, the global society, and the Earth’s physical environment.  The Development We Deserve

14. Aim of studying Sustainable Development is to understand the world and of to help improve the world How do the economic, the social, the environmental, the political, the cultural factors fit together ? How do we make the world both prosperous, fair and also environmentally sustainable, so that our numbers, and our economy don't overrun the physical planet itself ?

15. What is Sustainable Development? In short tautology, it means ‘development that is sustainable.’ Development can be defined as a collective process of change toward improvements in quality of life for human beings and their communities. Sustainability can be seen to refer to the need for development to be integrated, socially, economically and environmentally sound , oriented to the long-term, and hence, able to last.

16. Two dimensions of Sustainable Development Normative Analytical

17. Two dimensions of Sustainable Development Normative Method for Solving Global Problems Analytical A way of Understanding the World

18. Dimensions of Sustainable Development

19. Normative Dimension I t recommends a set of goals to which the world should aspire

20. Normative Dimension of Sustainable Development In this normative (or ethical) sense, sustainable development calls for a world in which economic progress is widespread; extreme poverty is eliminated; social trust is encouraged through policies that strengthen  the community; and the environment is protected from human-induced degradation . the normative side of sustainable development envisions four basic objectives of a good society: economic prosperity; social inclusion and cohesion; environmental sustainability; and good governance by major social actors, including governments and business.

21. The term “sustainable” as applied to ecosystems goes back a long way. Fisheries managers, for example, have long used the concept of the “maximum sustainable yield” to denote the maximum fish catch per year consistent with a stable fish population. In 1972, at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the challenge of maintaining sustainability in the context of economic growth and development was first brought to the global forefront.

22. Steps taken in 1992 At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in the 1992 Rio Declaration , States committed to “the further development of international law in the field of sustainable development ” ( Principle 27 ). In the 1992 Agenda 21 States elaborated that this involved the “further development of international law on sustainable development, giving special attention to the delicate balance between environmental and developmental concerns ”

23. More Steps Taken in 2002 The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg Declaration specifically commits to “assume a collective responsibility to advance and strengthen the interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development - economic development, social development and environmental protection - at the local, national, regional and global levels” ( para . 5). The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation mandated the UN Commission on Sustainable Development to “(e) Take into account significant legal developments in the field of sustainable development, with due regard to the role of relevant intergovernmental bodies in promoting the implementation of Agenda 21 relating to international legal instruments and mechanisms.” ( para 148 at e )

24. Steps in 2012 In the final outcome document for the Rio+20 Summit (“The Future We Want”), the aim of sustainable development was put this way: We also reaffirm the need to achieve sustainable development by: promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living; fostering equitable social development and inclusion; and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that supports inter alia economic, social and human development while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration and restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges. (UN General Assembly 2012, para . 4)

25. What is Sustainable Development Law? the concept of sustainable development , in international law, requires accommodation, reconciliation and integration between economic growth, social justice (including human rights) and environmental protection objectives, towards participatory improvement in collective quality of life for the benefit of both present and future generations . The term ‘sustainable development law’ describes an emerging corpus of international legal principles and instruments which address the intersections between international economic, environmental and social law (including human rights law), towards development that can last for the benefit of present and future generations.

26. Dimensions of Sustainable Development Law the concept of sustainable development has a dual nature in international law. It can be considered an interstitial norm , which serves to reconcile other conflicting norms related to the environment, the economy and social development (including human rights ), and also simply the object and purpose of many international treaties and legal instruments.

27. Sky and Water, by MS Echer Changes happen slowly towards the goal of transition, but they happen surely and over time, they bring about a completely different image, a completely different social configuration , such that it's impossible to recognize what existed from looking at what exists, and needs to look at all the steps in between.

28. Sky and Water, by MS Echer The steps in between unsustainability, trajectories, and transitions towards sustainability as similar they need to happen in a whole range of different domains. They need to happen in terms of what science we have and the kind of technical knowledge we have.

29. Sources used for this Lecture CISDL Concept Paper, What is Sustainable Development, Montreal, 2005 Age of Sustainable Development, Prof. Jeffery Sachs, Columbia University Press Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals: Addressing Sustainability and Development, Arun Agarwal , University of Michigan, 2020

30. Thank you