Authors: Patricia Ikouta Mazza, Maria Mavri

Title: Concepts of Sustainable Development; A literature review and a proposed framework for analyzing and enriching dimensions of sustainability

Abstract

Sustainable development has been in the center of interest both in academic literature and in various countries’ national development plans. The concept of sustainable development arises from a new worldview, which believes that survival, continued progress, and maintenance of the human community depends on the continued health and viability of the earth’s life support systems. The most essential point to sustainable development is the realization that economic growth alone is not enough to solve the world’s problems: economic, social and environmental aspects of any action are interconnected. Considering only one of these at a time, leads to errors in judgment and “unsustainable” outcomes. Focusing only on profit margins, for example, has historically led to social and environmental damages that cost society in the long run. Sustainable Development grew from numerous environmental movements and non-governmental organizations, in earlier decades, and was defined in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission 1987). This paper reviews the conceptual history of ‘sustainable development’, from 1987 up today. The goal of this study is to propose a framework for understanding the dimensions of sustainable development and to provide a methodology for enriching them.