Conditions and measures to prompt and guide the evolution of technologies toward sustainable solutions

Abstract

Sustainable development is neither easy nor quick to achieve because it is based on revolutionary paradigms. Therefore, in order to overcome the 'resistance' due to consolidated advantages and behaviours, suited and effective conditions and measures must be created at socio-economic level, so as to prompt and guide the development and diffusion of sustainable while economic solutions. In this study, some fundamental conditions are considered and discussed: indicators (such as upper or lower boundaries) of sustainability, price level for all natural resources, effective economic policy instruments, and technological pluralism. Setting indicators regarding all aspects of economic and social life has to be considered as the basic step to measure the results obtained while pursuing sustainable pathways, and, consequently, permit to consider sustainable or unsustainable the implemented solutions. Also the price level for all primary commodities is a fundamental condition and measure in this perspective, reflecting their 'limitedness'.