top of page
  • Michael E. Kirst

Why sustainable development is important

Updated: Aug 15, 2022

Sustainable development is the way that people organize their progress in a way that protects and fixes natural systems. This is important for the growth of human societies and the economy, which depend on nature for its natural resources and ecosystem services. Without these, society cannot grow and keep going. So, sustainable development helps the economy grow and makes society better off. Sustainable development is more than saving natural resources and keeping ecosystems healthy. Some of the essential parts of sustainable development are as follows:


Sustainability is the ability of a process to last over time and keep natural resources from running out. It also refers to policies that examine how a policy or practice will affect people, ecosystems, and the economy in the long run. It talks about how important it is to build economies that can meet current and future needs while protecting the health of people and the planet's ecosystem. It is a way of thinking about sustainability that uses models from social and environmental fields to help the economy grow.


Sustainable growth needs self-sacrifice. It is making money, and looking for ease are not the most important things. Self-focus can be broadened to include taking responsibility for things that have not happened yet. This helps us make better decisions in the here and now. This way of thinking is not easy to implement and will take political will. There are too many parts to sustainability to think about them all. Sustainable development is a way to balance economic and environmental needs and consider how different projects will affect the world in the long run.


Sustainable development has many goals, some of which are to reduce damage to the environment, improve biodiversity, and slow down climate change. Sustainable development helps reduce global warming and improve people's health but also helps build strong, healthy communities. These communities will be able to offer affordable housing in the future, provide local services that meet the community's needs, and, in the end, promote the community's well-being. Sustainable development also helps the economy grow, creates jobs, and leads to new ideas. So, countries need to make policies that help them reach these goals.


In addition to the things list of sustainable development promotes social equity. Specifically, policies need to be changed to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. Also, countries should have policies that help people develop ways of making and using things that are good for the ecosystem and respect cultural identity. Also, countries should use the polluter pays principle, which says that those who harm the environment should pay for it. Many more important things should be talked about when it comes to sustainable development.


Even though the idea of sustainable development is still relatively new, it is gaining support in many areas. The IPCC report on climate change and the need to cut CO2 emissions to keep the Earth's temperature below two degrees Celsius shows that continuing global warming will have terrible effects. People from many fields need to work toward the same goal for more people to know about sustainable development. Countries and states now have sustainability written into their constitutions. One of these groups is the United Nations, which often brings world leaders together to discuss sustainability issues.


The idea of "weak sustainability" came about because people are becoming more worried about natural resources that cannot be replaced. Ultimately, human-made capital, like ecosystem services and input, can take the place of natural capital. So, the idea of sustainable development needs to be explained better. Because of this, some parts of the total stock of assets can break down while others can be replaced. Therefore, sustainable development is suitable for everyone.


The ecosystem should be kept in good shape. This is a crucial principle of sustainable development. Without ecosystems, life would not be possible. Also, there are only so many resources, and using them all up is terrible for the environment. Controlling the population is also a part of sustainable development. As the number of people on Earth grows, there is no way to meet their needs. Controlling the number of people is the answer to this problem. By keeping population growth in check, the world will stay healthy and able to support itself. So, we will be able to meet our needs while still taking care of the ecosystems and environment.


Sustainability is a way of looking at life as a whole. Its goal is to find a balance between the economy and the environment without hurting people. Ben-Eli (2015) says that sustainability is when people's and the environment's needs are balanced. In other words, sustainable development is based on the idea that people should be able to get what they want without using all the natural resources. Also, sustainable development takes into account the needs and wants of society, as well as the ability of the ecosystems on Earth to grow back.

10 views

Recent Posts

See All

Why it's important to make eco-friendly products

"Sustainability" has many meanings. It's caused by excessive resource use and new technology development. Sustainability has many different definitions and views. In the following paragraphs, we'll ex

The European Union's Nuclear Power Plants

According to Michael E. Kirst, the average lifespan of a nuclear power plant is between 40 and 60 years; nevertheless, during the past several years, the fleet of reactors has been quickly aging. One

bottom of page