5. Sustainability and preservation

Abstract

Sustainable development was defined in the 1987 Brundtland Report as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. It envisaged social, ecological, and economic needs, favouring not just leaving future generations with options for satisfying their needs, but also introducing policies that would make the meeting of those needs more feasible. ‘Sustainability and preservation’ discusses the Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 and the Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015. It explains why biodiversity loss is a major global problem, and why its preservation warrants inclusion in these goals. The forms and limits of preservation are also considered.