Principles That Guide Sustainable Actions
(Section Summary)

Sustainable development simultaneously considers environment, life, and human well-being by taking a system’s approach to understanding and decision-making. And a set of principles can be established and agreed to in order to guide this system’s approach. Sustainability deals with complex issues, but the concept itself is straightforward. It involves: (a) satisfying lives for all within the means of nature – now and in the future; (b) understanding the thermodynamic irreversibility of natural processes; (c) a way of acting that limits the destruction or loss of natural, manufactured, social, and human capital; and (d) a way of thinking about the vitality and unpredictable behavior of social and ecological systems.

As far back as the Brundtland Commission (WCED, 1987), actions intended to promote the idea of sustainability have been guided through the realization of principles able to affect issues that reach across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Unlike basic truths, a principle represents a belief that forms the foundation of a fundamental doctrine, like sustainability, or serves as a rule, law, or assumption about the nature of the topic. Other bodies since Brundtland have adopted different perspectives and proposed additional principles to advance sustainability. Biophysical research and ecosystem science have contributed immensely to our understanding of the interdependent functions of nature and how recognition of interconnections is important to preventing unintended consequences from our actions (Jacobs, 2000; Norton, 2005). Similarly notable programs have focused upon helping communities examine their own assets as a means of achieving self-sufficient and sustainable livelihoods through such economic activities as “adding value.” And the principle of identifying criteria and indicators of human and ecological well-being has gained wide attention around the world as a way of designing for and adapting to continuing uncertainties (Flint, 2004). Principles that can serve as means to assure sustainable decision-making include the following.

• Ecological Integrity
• Social Equity
• Sufficiency and Opportunity
• Efficiency
• Full Cost Accounting
• Citizen Engagement and Democracy
• Precautionary
• Integrative and Adaptive

By considering the integrated application of the above principles, plus others that might evolve with further public dialogue, decision-making can encourage protection and equitable distribution of resources to create a sense of fairness, identifying and satisfying real needs before wants and leaving options open for future generations. .......... read more!

This is just a summary. If you wish to purchase the COMPLETE narrative of this section of the Manifesto, or the entire Sustainability Manifesto publication, go to GET THE MANIFESTO.

Return to the Sustainability Manifesto main page.