The history of sustainable development
The theme of "sustainability" has a long history and the very expression "sustainable development" has been, over time, so many mutations. And that’s why the meaning is so general and versatile as to make impossible a unique reference.
Here are some points of this debate, still open.
The history of sustainable development
A good starting point is the 1972: in fact, the Report of the Club of Rome "Limits of Growth" (released in Italian with the title a bit 'misleading of The Limits to Growth). Although the term "sustainable development" will not appear explicitly, the report has the merit to enter with force into the international debate on the theme of unsustainable model that seems to consider the world an inexhaustible mine of resources at our disposal. "Sustainable development" officially enters the scene in 1987: the Brundtland Report (Our Common Future) explicitly defines as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations. The concept will be taken up and built a few years later at the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (Earth Summit). Since the Rio Conference, emerges the idea that a real sustainable development should provide the indissoluble relationship between the issues of economic justice and social equity: true sustainability must be simultaneously environmental, economic and social (we live in a world where 20% of the world's population monopolizes 80% of the planet's resources). Another strong Rio’s message is the connection between global and local aspects as expressed by the slogan "Think globally - Act locally".
The Agenda 21
In this direction moves Agenda 21: a document containing the guidelines (social, cultural, environmental and economic) and reflecting sustainable development projects. This important document assigned an active role to the population and local authorities. In particular, Chapter 28 invites every community to develop a local version of this document, the so-called Local Agenda 21 which, in intent, should be an actual actions plan to encourage participation of the population.
