Sustainable Development
Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Sustainability is the foundation for today’s leading global framework for international cooperation – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Each of the 17 SDGs has specific targets to be achieved by 2030. The goals and targets are universal, meaning they apply to all countries around the world, not just poor countries. Reaching the goals requires action on all fronts – governments, businesses, civil society and people everywhere all have a role to play.
To find out more about the Sustainable Development Goals, explore our SDG Knowledge Hub – an online resource center for the latest news, original commentary from our experts, guest articles from key actors in SDG implementation, and a calendar of upcoming events related to the 2030 Agenda.
Sustainable development is in the news every day as the world copes with climate change, biodiversity loss, conflict and resource scarcity. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and subscribe to our biweekly e-newsletter to stay connected to the global conversation.
- Blog
Adaptation to Climate Change: Putting people first
When we talk about solving the climate crisis, we should have more than just a technical lens; we should also be talking about compassion, grief, fear and hope.
Read More - Book
Modelling for Sustainable Development: New decisions for a new age
This book provides a detailed overview of models used in designing projects and policies that integrate sustainable development considerations and objectives.
Read More - Policy Brief
How and Why the U.S. EPA Is Changing its Policy on Mercury
President Trump wants to loosen the US EPA's regulations on mercury. We explore what the proposed changes are, why they would be a mistake and how they could affect the lives of Americans and even Canadians.
Read More - Report
Sustainability and Second Life: The case for cobalt and lithium recycling
Adopting recycling in the mining sector and in supply chains is essential to ensure the transition to a low-carbon economy is responsible and sustainable for the longer term.
Read More - Report
Progressing National SDGs Implementation: An Independent Assessment of the Voluntary National Review Reports Submitted to the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2018
The report recognizes emerging good practice and gives recommendations for how countries can both improve their implementation of the SDGs and use the HLPF as an opportunity for peer learning.
Read More - Blog
Our Sustainable Development Holiday Reading List
Looking for a book or podcast on sustainable development to enjoy during the holidays? The IISD team has your holiday reading list ready.
Read More - Blog
Making Winnipeg a Smart City With New Technologies
We asked four members of our Winnipeg team how they would tackle some of Winnipeg’s most pressing issues: This is what they came up with.
Read More - Blog
Biodiversity Conservation: Are we content to fight a rear-guard action?
We have to devote ourselves to working out how nature might be placed at the heart of development to enhance social justice and biodiversity conservation.
Read More - Report
Comprehensive Wealth in Canada 2018 – Measuring What Matters in the Long Term
Comprehensive wealth measures the country’s produced, natural, human, financial and social capital.
Read More - Briefing Note
Estimating Employment Effects of the Circular Economy
This note summarizes some of the definitions of the term "circular economy" and the baselines that have been used for projections on job impacts and growth.
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