Background to Sustainability
The Brundtland Report
In 1983 the United Nations established the World Commission on Environment and Development.
Led by Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Commission issued a report that suggested that the solution is sustainable development – the concept that human activity should “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Rio Earth Summit
After considering the Brundtland Report, the UN General Assembly called for a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 – also known as the Rio Earth Summit.
The Summit generated a sense of urgency about the need to alter our behaviour to reduce environmental degradation. Sustainability emerged as the way forward.
Australia’s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development was endorsed in the same year.
Ongoing International Attention
There are numerous international commitments, charters, declarations that demonstrate the importance communities place on environmental sustainability.
For example, in April 2002, an international think-tank session was held in Melbourne. The session crystallised 10 principles for creating a sustainable city – a basic ‘how to’ guide.
The Melbourne Principles, as they’re now called, will serve as a roadmap for any city wanting to become more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities.
Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities (PDF - 214 Kb)Please note: Document(s) on this page are presented in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download a copy free from the Adobe web site.
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