Sustainable Development
Meeting today's needs without harming future generations.
About this topic
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs (Brundtland, 1987). It balances three pillars: environment, society and economy. The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals include ending poverty, clean water, affordable clean energy and climate action.
Practices include renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and forestry, efficient cities, protecting biodiversity, and fair trade. Measuring progress uses indicators such as the ecological footprint. Governments, businesses and individuals all play a role.
Think of sustainability as a three-legged stool: take away any leg, environmental, social or economic, and it falls. A fishery shows this well: if too many fish are caught, the stock collapses, the fishing community loses income and the ecosystem suffers. A sustainable catch uses quotas set below the maximum sustainable yield so that fish can replenish. Another example is a city that improves public transport, so that air quality improves, journeys are cheaper and emissions fall at the same time.
The 17 SDGs, adopted in 2015 for 2030, are connected: clean water improves health and education, while clean energy supports jobs and climate. The ecological footprint compares human demand on nature with the planet's capacity, and humanity currently uses about 1.7 Earths' worth of resources each year. The circular economy designs out waste by keeping materials in use. Individuals can act by choosing what to buy, saving energy, eating lower-impact diets and voting. A common misconception is that sustainability means going back to a simpler life or that it is only about the environment; it is about wellbeing for all, now and later. Another is that growth and sustainability always conflict; many solutions are both profitable and green.
Key ideas
- Environment, society, economy
- UN goals
- Circular economy
Quick check
Use cases: where Sustainable Development helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Sustainable Development before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Sustainable Development without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Sustainable Development changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Sustainable Development in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Earth science helps with weather forecasts, natural hazards, energy and climate planning.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sustainable Development?
Meeting today's needs without harming future generations.
What will I learn in Sustainable Development?
Environment, society, economy. UN goals. Circular economy.
Is Sustainable Development part of Earth & Space?
Yes. It is one of 60 Earth & Space topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Sustainable Development lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Sustainable Development?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.