The social and economic development of a country can cause an increase in pressures on its environment and increases the need for a reduction in environmentally damaging activities. Some of these damaging activities involve the production and disposal of waste. The more waste we produce, the more we have to dispose, either by recycling and …

Business and Industry, including multinational companies, have a huge role to play in promoting and achieving world-wide sustainable development. They can play a major part in reducing impacts on the environment and resources by using more efficient manufacturing processes and producing less waste. Businesses can also promote fair employment The United Nations is pressing for …

We can all do our bit for sustainable development. Using the car less for unnecessary journeys, walking, cycling, using public transport, being more energy conscious and recycling waste can all help make the environment a cleaner place. Being fit and healthy, through a good diet and adequate exercise, is also beneficial to our scociety and …

Public transport offers alternative modes of transport to the private motor car. Public transport, including trains, trams and buses, can relieve traffic congestion and reduce air pollution from road transport. The use of public transport must be encouraged if a sustainable transport policy is to be developed. Railways are efficient forms of transport that use …

Everybody has the right to a good standard of living, with better job opportunities. Economic prosperity is required if our country is to prosper and our businesses must therefore offer a high standard of products that consumers throughout the world want, at the prices they are prepared to pay. For this, we need a workforce …

One of the key concepts of sustainable development is the interdependence of society, economy and the natural environment. Early human cultures were aware from the beginning of the carrying capacity of their environments, that their existence was dependent upon utilising the environment for resources, but respecting that there are limits to what nature can provide …

The way we treat our environment is determined by how we view it. Peoples perspectives on the environment, and mankind’s relationship with nature, have traditionally been divided into four general categories: stewardship, imperialism, romanticism and utilitarianism. These perspectives still account for the majority of opinions and attitudes most people have about the environment today. The …

Agenda 21, established at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, or “Earth Summit”, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the blueprint for sustainability in the 21st century. Agenda 21 is a commitment to sustainable development, which was agreed by many of the world’s governments. Nations that have pledged to take part in …

Forests are an important resource, both as a source of wood for fuel, building and paper and as habitats for a variety of wildlife. Forestry practices in much of the developed world are almost sustainable – felled trees are replanted and the wildlife found in most commercial forests has been improved by the addition of …

Agricultural advances caused the world’s population to grow from 170 million during the Roman period 2,000 years ago to 900 million in 1800. By 1900 the industrialisation of large parts of the world had led to a trebling of the worlds population in only 100 years. This growth in population has increased the stresses on …