Meaning of Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of current generations, without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 

There are 3 main ideas surrounding sustainable development:

• Social sustainability: When an economy can develop social systems allowing both its current and its future populations to live better lives

• Economic sustainability: When an economy allocates its scarce resources so that both its current and its future populations can use them without being disadvantaged

• Environmental sustainability: When an economy uses the planet's natural resources so that both its current and its future populations can use them without being disadvantaged