History of sustainable development - SUM: Sustainability Management Wiki

Authors: Inga Römmer-Collmann, Lea-Sophie Fass, Joern Hoppmann, Jana Walkemeyer, Joana Weber
Last updated: March 16, 2023

1. Introduction

The principle of sustainability has been discussed within the economy, science, and society in many different ways over the last few decades. In this context, the meaning and key message of the word and the concept behind it have changed and have been transformed many times to adapt to the circumstances and needs of the present use.¹ The following sections will look into the historical development of the sustainability concept in a global context.

*Figure 2: Timeline of Sustainability from 1972 to 2021. Modelled after²^{, p. 2}*

2 Sylvicultura oeconomica

The word “sustainability” was first used as the German verb “nachhalten” by Hans Carl von Carlowitz in his book “Sylvicultura oeconomica, oder hauswirtschaftliche Nachricht und naturmäßige Anweisungen zur Baumzucht” in 1713. The term was used by Carlowitz within the framework of forestry and offers a sustainable economic approach toward the use of natural resources. In this particular case, it refers to the use of wood and Carlowitz suggests, that “you should only cut as much wood as can also grow again”.³

3 Club of Rome – The Limits to Growth

After being used by Carlowitz, the word and approach did not make a significant appearance again within the global context until 1972. In 1972, an association of experts from all kinds of industries, the so-called “Club of Rome”, published a report called “Limits of Growth”, which started the debate and conversation about sustainability in a global context. The paper presented a model to illustrate long-term global problems that are caused by the unsustainable behavior of society and the economy. Within the model, there were five major issues of global concern highlighted: rapid population growth, accelerating industrialization, depletion of non-renewable resources, a deteriorating environment, and widespread malnutrition of the global population. This study created the first model in history to show these variables as dynamically interacting and influencing elements and not as entities, which are independent of themselves.⁴

The paper presented drastic findings by letting the five different issues interact with each other in theory. As a result, the paper said that “If the present growth trends continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached within the next hundred years. The result will be a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline in population and industrial capacity”.⁵

But the study model also drew the result, that it is possible to alter these growth trends and establish a condition of ecological and economic stability that is sustainable far into the future if common behavior within society and the economy drastically changes for the better. Then, the state of a global balance could be re-designed so that the basic need of each person on earth is satisfied, and each person has an equal opportunity to realize his or her potential.⁶

4 Brundtland Commission – Our Common Future

As a result, and in reaction to the Club of Rome’s paper, the first UN environment conference was initiated and held in Stockholm.⁷ Still, no official political organization focusing on environmental issues was founded. This changed in 1983 when the UN founded the “World Commission on Environment and Development“ (WCED).⁸ The WCED changed its name to “Brundtland Commission“ in 1987 when they released their report “Our Common Future“, which fundamentally changed the definition and how we look at the concept of sustainability until today.⁹

The commission can be defined as an independent body, as it works outside of the control of governments and the UN but is still linked to them. The commission’s task with the Brundtland report was to re-examine the current state of environmental and development issues and to re-think how to deal with them efficiently. The Brundtland commission also had the mandate to propose new ideas for the international handling and cooperation regarding these issues, that would influence the political decisions in the direction of the changes in need. The third task that the commission had to fulfill with the report was raising awareness, understanding, and commitment regarding the topic of sustainability. It also posed as a call to action for everyone: individuals, businesses, governments, voluntary organizations, and institutes.¹⁰

The final report was published on behalf of the UN Commission in 1987 and contained a huge agenda for all participating countries. It proposed long-term environmental strategies to achieve sustainable development until the year 2000 and further.¹¹ The commission focused its attention on a few different issues. The main focus was on population, food security, energy, industry, the loss of species and genetic resources, and human settlements. These different issues were not looked at in isolation because the Brundtland commission understood that they are all connected.¹² For example, regarding the issue of the ever-growing population, the commission proposed the idea that governments in need should develop long-term and multifaceted policies for their population to pursue broader demographic goals. The social, economic, and cultural motivation to start a family should be strengthened again by this policy, and education, contraceptives, and required services need to be provided to tackle this issue.¹³

The report also recommended translating concerns about environmental issues into co-operations between countries at different stages of economic and social development, such as a fellowship between developing countries and industrial countries. The idea behind this agenda was, that the Brundtland commission wanted to possibly achieve common and mutually supportive goals between different nations so that they take into account the interrelationships between resources, the environment, people, and development. Another goal regarding the interaction of all participating countries was, that it would create different ways to deal more effectively with global environmental concerns as an international community. The last point on the agenda of the report was to help define a shared perception of long-term environmental issues for all participating nations to take needed action to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment. “Our Common Future” created a long-term agenda for taking action for the future decades and to have aspirational goals and objectives for the global community when it comes to environmental issues.¹⁴

The so-called “Brundtland report” created a growing realization in national governments and multilateral institutions, that it is impossible to separate economic development issues from environmental issues. Therefore, the modern concept of sustainability, which was defined by the Brundtland Report, was adopted as the main definition by society until today.

5 Earth Summit – Kyoto Protocol

After the Brundtland Commission released its publication on sustainability, the concept finally became relevant in the global and political sense. In 1992, the “Earth Summit” took place in Rio de Janeiro. This UN conference built the basis for many international agreements on development and environmental issues. The main achievements of this summit were the final report of the summit, the so-called “Rio Declaration on Environment and Development” because it was the basis for future arrangements like the Kyoto Protocol and the introduction of Agenda 21, which was initiated to target global sustainable development regionally and locally until the 21st century. The UN conference in Rio also agreed on the “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” (UNFCCC) which became extremely relevant for the introduction of later agreements like the Kyoto Protocol.¹⁵

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 during the UN conference in Kyoto. The protocol was introduced by the UNFCCC and is still operationalized by them. In general, it can be said, that the Kyoto protocol was initiated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within industrialized countries and economies, based on individual targets. In total, greenhouse gas emissions were supposed to be reduced by 5.2 % from 1990 levels starting in 2008 until 2012.¹⁶

6 The United Nations Global Compact

In 1999, the “UN Global Compact” was introduced by the UN general secretary Kofi Annan during his speech at the world economic forum in Davos. The UN Global Compact is a worldwide agreement that was arranged between the UN and worldwide operating businesses to create a more socially and environmentally conscious globalization. Therefore, the concept contains ten universally known principles regarding sustainable corporate management. The UN Global Compact’s ten principles are based on “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, “The International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work”, “The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development” and “The United Nations Convention Against Corruption”. These principles are broadly diversified to cover different aspects of corporate management, for example, human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and prevention of corruption.¹⁷^,¹⁸

In the area of human rights, businesses are expected to respect and support the protection of international human rights and make sure to not be complicit in human rights abuse. According to the UN Global Compact, businesses have a corporate impact on people and communities in an increasingly globally connected economy and need to realize their legal, commercial, and moral need to act on it. To implement these responsibilities into the workforce, the UN Global Compact helps businesses to navigate through these challenges by offering guidance documents, webinars, or online forums to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. For example, this includes women’s empowerment and equality in the workplace as well as integrating people of color or people with disabilities into the workforce.¹⁹

The second covered aspect of the agreement, the labor standards, were implemented in a way that obliges companies to eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labor as well as the effective abolition of child labor. This aspect also covers the elimination of discrimination within the workplace. The UN Global Compact forces companies to look deeper into their total value chains to uphold labor standards that are enforced. When businesses are promoting decent work environments and inclusive employment, they also create higher societal standards and build more resilient communities and economies.²⁰

Regarding the environmental aspect of the UN Global Compact, the agreement proposes, that businesses should support actions and approaches toward environmental challenges. They should also uphold and create initiatives to promote environmental consciousness and responsibility and encourage the development of environmentally friendly technologies. Within the Global Compact, businesses are pushed towards a holistic and comprehensive strategy. They are forced to look beyond their traditional approaches, for example by learning to understand the linkages between natural resources within their value chains. The UN helps businesses with these challenges by initiating their “Global Compact’s Environmental Stewardship Strategy”. This organization within the Global Compact helps businesses recognize the growing connections between various environmental issues like climate change, biodiversity, or agriculture and helps them to adjust their business strategies towards it to face their social and environmental responsibilities.²¹

The last aspect of the ten principles is the topic of anti-corruption. Anti-corruption for businesses within the UN Global Compact means, that businesses should always work against corruption of all types and forms. Corruption within an economy can raise transaction costs, can undermine fair competition, and can distort development. Therefore, the Global Compact helps businesses to prevent corruption by introducing anti-corruption measures such as risk assessment, public reporting, and highlighting the different businesses within their supply chains.²²

Since introducing the UN Global Compact in 1999, the pact has become one of the most important tools for businesses when it comes to incorporating corporate sustainability because it offers a global guide for the correct implementation. In 2005, as mentioned before, the Kyoto protocol came into force for the period 2008-2012. It was later extended until 2020.²³

7 The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, another big step in global sustainable development was made. An agreement on new sustainable development goals, the so-called “SDGs”, was introduced by the UN and became obligatory for all participating states and the economy.²⁴ The SDGs are targeting 17 challenges every state has to face and combat, such as poverty, climate protection, responsible and conscious consumption, or resource-saving production. For example, the German government, as part of the UN, adopted the SDGs as “Die Glorreichen 17” and implemented them into their German sustainability strategy, the so-called “Agenda 2030” for sustainable development.²⁵ But as mentioned before, not only participating states are obligated to adopt the proposed SDGs, but also global businesses, science, and societies were challenged to act on these. Therefore, important sub-targets within the SDGs were defined as follows: sustainable management and the efficient use of natural resources shall be achieved by 2030, companies should be encouraged to use sustainable production and to include sustainable reporting into their business strategy, customer awareness regarding a sustainable consumption shall be raised by providing society with relevant information and to implement sustainable practices into public procurement.²⁶ These targets can only be reached if society, governments, and companies work together toward them. Therefore, it becomes clear that sustainable corporate management is needed to implement the SDGs within companies. With the help of the introduced SDGs, businesses can understand what the aims of sustainable corporate management are and where they play a role in their business model and across their entire value chain. For this, organizations need to recognize and reflect on the positive but also negative sides and risks of the impact of the SDGs and sustainability in an economic context. Secondly, companies need to implement a meaningful focus regarding sustainability within the company’s context. Taken measures must be connected to clear, comprehensible goals. Next, the implementation of the SDGs within the company can follow and must be monitored by continuous reporting on the achieved progress.²⁷

8 The Paris Agreement

Another milestone that was reached in 2015 regarding the global sustainability concept was the “Paris Agreement”. This agreement was introduced during the 21st UN climate conference in Paris in December of 2015. The Paris agreement is the valid climate agreement we are working towards today. It is the follow-up agreement for the Kyoto protocol with binding climate goals for all 194 member states of the UN. The stated targets of the agreement include that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius over the long term in comparison to the pre-industrial times. In addition, the net global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to zero by each state until the second half of the 21st century. The goal of the agreement is to limit the increase of global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius so that risks and impacts of climate change are significantly reduced.²⁸

The ratification of the Paris agreement was adopted by more than 55 countries, which together account for more than half of all global greenhouse emissions and thus the Paris agreement entered into force in November 2016.²⁹ Following the initial ratification in 2016, the other contracting parties ratified the agreement as well. A major step backward for the Paris agreement and therefore the aim of the development and integration of sustainability as the fundamental idea for economy, science, and society was when the United States (US) withdrew from the agreement in November of 2020 because the running US president Donald Trump feared economic disadvantages for the US by enforcing the agreement guidelines. In January 2021 his successor Joe Biden ordered the U.S.’s immediate re-entry and the United States re-joined the agreement when his term of office began.³⁰

Still, as of today, it can be said that the UN will not reach its established goals. According to the Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific analysis, the European Union (EU) for example will be insufficient to meet the agreed two degrees Celsius. Currently, the actions of the EU are more on track toward a three degrees Celsius target.³¹

References

1
Gomez Gonzalez, E., Importance of Sustainability Management for all Types of Businesses. (1st Ed., Oakville: Society Publishing, 2020).
2
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020).
3
Mumm, G., Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie: Grundlagen, Evaluationen, Empfehlungen, p. 13. (1st Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2016).
4
Meadows D., Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. Limits of Growth. (5th Ed., New York: Universe Books, 1972), p. 21.
5
Meadows D., Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. Limits of Growth. (5th Ed., New York: Universe Books, 1972), p. 23.
6
Meadows D., Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. Limits of Growth. (5th Ed., New York: Universe Books, 1972), p. 24.
7
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 2.
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Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 2.
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Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 1.
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United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
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United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
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United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
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United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
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United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
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Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 7.
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UNFCCC. What is the Kyoto Protocol? https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol (2021) Accessed on 16.08.2022.
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Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 8.
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United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 11.
19
United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 13 et seqq..
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United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 17 et seqq..
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United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 21 et seqq..
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UNFCCC. What is the Kyoto Protocol? https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol (2021) Accessed on 22.08.2022.
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United Nations. The SDGs explained for business https://www.unglobalcompact.org/sdgs/about (2021) Accessed on 22.08.2022.
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Bundesregierung. Ziele für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung weltweit https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/nachhaltigkeitspolitik/ziele-fuer-eine-nachhaltige-entwicklung-weltweit-355966 (2021) Accessed on 22.08.2022.
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United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ (2021) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
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Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 10 et seq..
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UNFCCC. What is the Paris Agreement? https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement (2021) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
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UNFCCC. What is the Paris Agreement? https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement (2021) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
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Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Fünf Jahre Pariser Klimaabkommen https://www.bpb.de/kurz-knapp/hintergrund-aktuell/322749/fuenf-jahre-pariser-klimaabkommen/ (2020) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
31
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 12.

1
Gomez Gonzalez, E., Importance of Sustainability Management for all Types of Businesses. (1st Ed., Oakville: Society Publishing, 2020).
2
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020).
3
Mumm, G., Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie: Grundlagen, Evaluationen, Empfehlungen, p. 13. (1st Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2016).
4
Meadows D., Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. Limits of Growth. (5th Ed., New York: Universe Books, 1972), p. 21.
5
Meadows D., Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. Limits of Growth. (5th Ed., New York: Universe Books, 1972), p. 23.
6
Meadows D., Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Behrens, W. Limits of Growth. (5th Ed., New York: Universe Books, 1972), p. 24.
7
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 2.
8
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 2.
9
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 1.
10
United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
11
United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
12
United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
13
United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
14
United Nations. Our Common Future https://www.netzwerk-n.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0_Brundtland_Report-1987-Our_Common_Future.pdf (1987) Accessed on 15.08.2022.
15
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 7.
16
UNFCCC. What is the Kyoto Protocol? https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol (2021) Accessed on 16.08.2022.
17
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 8.
18
United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 11.
19
United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 13 et seqq..
20
United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 17 et seqq..
21
United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 21 et seqq..
22
United Nations. United Nations Global Compact: Guide to corporate sustainability. (2014), p. 25 et seqq..
23
UNFCCC. What is the Kyoto Protocol? https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol (2021) Accessed on 22.08.2022.
24
United Nations. The SDGs explained for business https://www.unglobalcompact.org/sdgs/about (2021) Accessed on 22.08.2022.
25
Bundesregierung. Ziele für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung weltweit https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/nachhaltigkeitspolitik/ziele-fuer-eine-nachhaltige-entwicklung-weltweit-355966 (2021) Accessed on 22.08.2022.
26
United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ (2021) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
27
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 10 et seq..
28
UNFCCC. What is the Paris Agreement? https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement (2021) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
29
UNFCCC. What is the Paris Agreement? https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement (2021) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
30
Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Fünf Jahre Pariser Klimaabkommen https://www.bpb.de/kurz-knapp/hintergrund-aktuell/322749/fuenf-jahre-pariser-klimaabkommen/ (2020) Accessed on 23.08.2022.
31
Mayer, K. Nachhaltigkeit: 125 Fragen und Antworten. (2nd Ed., Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020), p. 12.