Sustainable development focuses on whole systems, long range planning, and front end solutions. It seeks out partnerships between government and business, and requires the participation of the entire public.
Economic Principles:
- Integrates the environment and the economy in all levels of decision-making. Utilizes economic appraisals that fully value the cost of goods and services (including environmental and social impacts).
- Revises how we measure and value growth to be equitable, long-term, and reflect quality of life elements.
- Incorporates economic incentives that encourage the conservation of resources: reflects the total cost of goods; and shifts the burden of taxes and fees from the public to the user.
- Reorients technology to better manage risks and efficiently utilizes materials and energy.
Environmental Principles:
- Conserves and enhances the natural resource base (air, water, soils, biological diversity).
- Enhances interdisciplinary science and education – improves our understanding of and information available on natural systems and their interrelationships.
- Adjusts the use of natural resources and the capacity of environmental systems to reflect carrying capacity.
Social Principles:
- Ensures a sustainable level of population and access to education, health care, and family planning services.
- Improves governance through cohesive efforts that link agencies and departments, and central government with local government; incorporates project appraisal techniques that include environmental and social costs and benefits; involves citizens in decision-making.
- Promotes values and ethics that reflect sustainable development – the interdependence of the environment and the economy, the importance of fairness and equity for long-term prosperity, and the need for cooperation and community.
- Enhances interdisciplinary science and education – improves our understanding of and information available on natural systems and their interrelationships.
Principles condensed from Our Common Future and various Canadian models by Patricia Scruggs.