One of the most common definitions for sustainable development is based on the report of the Commission on Environment and Development, commonly known as the Brundtland report (1987) - ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. This definition basically means that we-as a generation-should not take more than our fair share of natural resources.

Our economy depends on adequate supplies of natural resources and depends on the natural environment to assimilate the waste that we generate from production and consumption practices. If we do not use natural resources efficiently or if we generate too much waste, future generations will not be able to meet their needs. At the moment we are using the planet’s resources faster than they can be renewed. In fact, the amount of resources that we use in a year exceeds the planet’s ability to regenerate by about 30 per cent. If we continue to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the same rate as the present, we will impose huge burdens for future generations¹.

Sustainable development is, importantly, based on the three pillars of environmental, social and economic development. One fundamental element of sustainable development is the integration of these three pillars into thought and development processes. Actions which do not strike a harmonious balance between the three objectives may undermine the system as a whole, even if progress is made in one particular area. Comhar, the Sustainable Development Council (2002), has developed Principles for Sustainable Development that outline the issues considered integral to sustainable development. 

Comhar SDC Principles for Sustainable Development

1. The use of non-renewable resources should be minimised.
2. Use of hazardous/polluting substances and wastes created should be minimised; waste management should be environmentally sound.
3. Renewable resources should be used within the capacity for regeneration.
4. The quality of soils and water resources should be maintained and improved.
5. The diversity of wildlife, habitats and species should be maintained and improved.
6. Air and atmosphere should be protected and human induced effects on climate minimised.
7. The development of resource potential in one region should not compromise the ability of other regions to achieve their own potential.
8. Social inclusion should be promoted to ensure an improved quality of life for all.
9. Sustainable development depends on co-operation and agreement between states.
10. The quality of landscapes, the heritage of the man-made environment and historic and cultural resources should be maintained and improved.
11. Decision-making should be devolved to the appropriate level.
12. Stakeholder participation should be promoted at all levels of decision making.

Policy Background
Following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, 178 UN countries committed, under the title of Agenda 21, to take action globally and locally to promote sustainable development, focusing on such issues as addressing poverty, protecting the environment, maintaining biological diversity, promoting human health and equality. This was reaffirmed in a further World Summit in Johannesburg in 2002².

EU Sustainable Development Policy
The EU incorporated sustainable development as a fundamental objective through including it in the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997. At the Gothenburg Summit in June 2001, EU leaders launched the first EU Sustainable Development Strategy. This Strategy sets out a path for European members states to meet commitments from the Rio and Johannesburg Earth Summits. This strategy was revised in 2006. The 2006 EU Sustainable Development Strategy outlines objectives and actions under seven priority areas including- climate change and clean energy, sustainable transport, sustainable consumption and production, conservation and management of natural resources, public health, social inclusion and global poverty and development issues³. In July 2009 the Commission adopted the Review of EU Sustainable Development Strategy. The EU Sustainable Development Strategy added a third, environmental dimension to the Lisbon Strategy of economic and social renewal. The two strategies are complementary.

National Sustainable Development Policy
Ireland published its first National Sustainable Development Strategy in 1997, which was revised in 2002 in the run-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa⁴. Comhar Sustainable Development Council was established in 1999 as the key organisation in Ireland providing for sectoral and stakeholder engagement on implementing sustainable development. Ireland is currently preparing a revised National Sustainable Development Strategy. The revised Strategy will serve as a statement of national policy and a roadmap for future action. In 2007, Comhar SDC published a set of comprehensive recommendation for the revised National Sustainable Development Strategy. These are available on the Comhar SDC website⁵.

Timeline for Sustainable Development in Ireland

• 1987 Our Common Future/Brundtland Report- This report was published by the World Commission on Environment and Development. It draws social, economic, cultural and environmental issues together and sets out the most common definition for sustainable development.
  
• 1992 Earth Summit- In 1992 a UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janeiro. The conference set out Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan outlining actions to be taken globally, nationally and locally to move towards more sustainable development. 
• 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam: The EU incorporated sustainable development as a fundamental objective through including it in the Treaty of Amsterdam.
  
• 1997 Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland- This was the first Irish strategy for sustainable development to be published. It sets out national priorities and commitments to sustainable development.
  
• 1999 Comhar established- The national council for sustainable development was founded.
  
• 2001 A Sustainable Europe for a Better World- At the Gothenburg Summit in June 2001, EU leaders launched the first EU sustainable development strategy.
• 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development- This summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It assessed global change since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. 
• 2002 Making Ireland’s Development Sustainable- This was a review of the national sustainable development strategy for Ireland.
  
• 2006 European Sustainable Development Strategy- The second EU Sustainable Development Strategy was published which aimed to take account of progress made, tackle shortcomings and deal with new challenges. 
• 2009 Review of the European Sustainable Development Strategy- A review of the European Sustainable Development Strategy was published. 

References
¹ http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/
² http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/res_agenda21_36.shtml
³ http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/welcome/index_en.htm
⁴ http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/
⁵ http://www.comharsdc.ie/_files/42628%20Comhar%20strategy.pdf