Characteristics : Intro to SD : SD Gateway

	Introduction to Sustainable Development
	Characteristics of SD Thinking

	Welcome

	Definitions

	Critical Actions

	Characteristics

	Equity & Fairness
	Long-term View
	Systems Thinking

	Further Exploration

Development Alternatives - Sustainable development... promotes efficient use of resources, environmental harmony, and a just and equitable social order, all at the same time, and quickly, without letting a small class of people capture all the wealth and then devising policies to help it trickle down to the long-marginalized minority. (Ashok Khosla)

Sustainable development is a fluid concept that will continue to evolve over time but common characteristics underlie the many streams of thought. Sustainable development emphasizes the need for:

Concern for equity and fairness - ensuring the rights of the poor and of future generations
Long-term view - applying the precautionary principle
Systems thinking - understanding the interconnections between the environment, economy and society

In addition, sustainable development strategies usually highlight the interplay between the local and global, the developing and the developed, and the need for cooperation within and between sectors.

Sustainable development is not a detailed plan of action, a formula that we can all blindly follow. There is no one solution. Solutions will differ between places and times and depend on the mix of values and resources. Approaching decision-making from a sustainable development perspective requires undertaking a careful assessment of the strengths of your household, community, company or organization to determine priority actions.