A Global Ethic of Sustainability?

The aim of this article is to provide a simple and coherent framework for assessing the sustainability of present and future development policies. First, we present the major characteristics of the sustainability concept along three dimensions and suggest how these dimensions can be measured. Second, we construct a diagram, the sustainable development area, and employ data from 118 countries to evaluate the global situation with regard to sustainable development. Third, we outline three different approaches for reaching the sustainable development area and reflect on their possible implications. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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“…Wetlesen, 1999). Lafferty and Langhelle (1999), however, claim that the Brundtland Report dismisses such a conclusion.…”

Section: Extra Prima No 3: Promoting Inter-and Intra-generational Eqmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sustainable development area: satisfying basic needs and safeguarding ecological sustainability

Holden

Linnerud

2006

Sustainable Development

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“…In fact, despite environmental concerns are prior to any other consideration (Lafferty, 2004), SD aims at keeping together both the anthropocentric and the ecocentric visions of human-environment relationships, by relying on a capitalistic mode of production only constrained by limits to the exploitation of natural resources (Lafferty and Meadowcroft, 2000). The combination between human needs and environmental concerns, along with a specific focus on intra-and inter-generational equity and solidarity, have also imprinted sustainability with a marked ethic connotation (Wetlesen, 2000): SD is a 'fundamental normative idea' (Meadowcroft, 2000: 371) and 'hardly anybody could be against the basic ideas behind the concept as such' (Bruyninckx, 2006: 268).…”

Section: The Ideational Potential Of Sustainable Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the eve of ecological transition? The failed institutionalization of sustainable development in Italy (1992–2020)

Pizzimenti

Giulio

2023

Riv. ital. sci. polit.

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The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) adopted in 2021 by the Italian government is explicitly committed to push the country towards a ‘radical ecological transition’ and sustainable development. However, the institutionalization of the paradigm of sustainable development, in Italy, is a story of a failure. The aim of this contribution is to investigate the hows and whys that may help explaining the failed institutionalization of the paradigm. By combining an ideational approach with a political system perspective, our empirical investigation analyses the initiatives promoted by Italian national governments, by covering a time span of over 20 years (1992–2020). Thick historical description and process tracing are used to provide an in-depth reconstruction of the process. Our results show that adverse combinations of factors of a cognitive, institutional and political nature have hindered the adoption of substantive policy outcomes, thus leading the institutionalization of the paradigm along a disjointed path.

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“…As Adams (1990: 59) points out: 'Our Common Future starts with people'. It is an anthropocentric approach, although there are also non-anthropocentric perspectives to be found (WCED 1987: 13, 57;Wetlesen 1999;Benton 1999). As such, the anthropocentric view of Our Common Future should fit well with liberal theories of international justice.…”

Section: Intragenerational Justice and Global Povertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Development and Social Justice: Expanding the Rawlsian Framework of Global Justice

Langhelle¹

2000

environ values

101

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This article makes two arguments. First, that social justice constitutes an inherent part of the conception of sustainable development that the World Commission on Environment and Development outlined in Our Common Future (1987). The primary goal of the Commission was to reconcile physical sustainability, need satisfaction and equal opportunities, within and between generations. Sustainable development is what defines this reconciliation. Second, it is argued that this conception of sustainable development is broadly compatible with liberal theories of justice. Sustainable development, however, goes beyond liberal theories of justice in many respects. It is based on three assumptions, which are for the most part ignored in liberal theories: an accelerating ecological interdependence, historical inequality in past resource use, and the 'growth of limits'. These assumptions create a conflict between intra-and intergenerational justice, which is ignored in liberal theories, but which sustainable development tries to solve. It does so by imposing duties on developed countries that goes beyond liberal demands, and by abandoning the focus 'solely on protection' that dominates non-anthropocentric approaches to environmental sustainability.

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A Global Ethic of Sustainability?

Cited by 4 publications

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The sustainable development area: satisfying basic needs and safeguarding ecological sustainability

The sustainable development area: satisfying basic needs and safeguarding ecological sustainability

On the eve of ecological transition? The failed institutionalization of sustainable development in Italy (1992–2020)

Sustainable Development and Social Justice: Expanding the Rawlsian Framework of Global Justice

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