Sustainable Development
Sustainable development meets present needs without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
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Sustainable development meets present needs without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
- Balances economy, society and environment
- The UN set 17 goals
- Local choices add up
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Sustainable Development?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Sustainable Development. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Sustainable Development in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Sustainable Development helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Sustainable Development in detail
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (the Brundtland Report, 1987). It balances three pillars: environmental protection, social equity and economic growth.
The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030) provide a framework, covering poverty, hunger, health, education, equality, clean water and energy, climate action and life on land and below water. Examples include renewable energy projects, sustainable farming, fair trade and eco-friendly cities. Trade-offs can arise, for instance between economic growth and emissions, so careful planning and cooperation are needed.
How the interactive helps you understand Sustainable Development
Watch the cycle in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the cycle responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Sustainable Development.
Real-life uses and examples
- Use a diagram of Sustainable Development to describe the steps of a process in order.
- Discuss how human activity changes Sustainable Development, using a named example.
- Explain how Sustainable Development affects the landscape or climate near you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Development
What is Sustainable Development?
Sustainable development meets present needs without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
What are the most important points about Sustainable Development?
The main points are: Balances economy, society and environment; The UN set 17 goals; Local choices add up.
Why is Sustainable Development useful?
Understanding Sustainable Development helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Sustainable Development?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Sustainable Development?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Food Miles and Local Food, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Environmental Ethics.