Contenido

El concepto de desarrollo sostenible refleja una creciente conciencia acerca de la contradicción que puede darse entre crecimiento y desarrollo. "El crecimiento económico es una condición necesaria pero no suficiente para el desarrollo. El crecimiento económico es un proceso a lo largo del tiempo durante el cual el nivel de actividad económica aumenta constantemente. Se considera que un país crece cuando su producción de bienes y servicios aumenta en el largo plazo. Por lo tanto el crecimiento económico se observa en el seguimiento de la evolución del PBI (Producto Interno Bruto). Por su parte el desarrollo económico se refiere a un crecimiento que genera una mejor distribución del ingreso y de la riqueza y que es capaz de reproducir las mejores técnicas de producción en cada uno de los sectores. Asimismo, el desarrollo es un crecimiento mas justo socialmente, sin indigencia y con oportunidades de progreso social para todos los habitantes del país"[5]​.

Esta conciencia de los costos humanos, naturales y medioambientales del desarrollo y el progreso ha venido a modificar la actitud de despreocupación o justificación que al respecto imperó durante mucho tiempo. La idea de un crecimiento económico sin límites y en pos del cual todo podía sacrificarse vino a ser reemplazada por una conciencia de esos límites y de la importancia de crear condiciones de largo plazo que hagan posible un bienestar para las actuales generaciones que no se haga al precio de una amenaza o deterioro de las condiciones de vida futuras de la humanidad.[6]​.

El desarrollo sostenible se aceptó exclusivamente en las cuestiones ambientales. En términos más generales, las políticas de desarrollo sostenible afectan a tres áreas: económica, ambiental y social. En apoyo a esto, varios textos de las Naciones Unidas, incluyendo el Documento Final de la cumbre mundial en el 2005,[7]​ se refieren a los tres componentes del desarrollo sostenible, que son el desarrollo económico, el desarrollo social y la protección del medio ambiente, como "pilares interdependientes que se refuerzan mutuamente".

La puesta en práctica del desarrollo sostenible tiene como fundamento ciertos valores y principios éticos. La Carta de la Tierra[8]​ presenta una articulación comprensiva e integral de los valores y principios relacionados con la sostenibilidad. Este documento, consiste en una declaración de la ética global para un mundo sostenible, desarrollado a partir de un proceso participativo global, por un período de 10 años, iniciado en la Cumbre de Río 92,[9]​ y el cual culminó en el año 2000. La legitimidad de la Carta de la Tierra proviene precisamente del proceso participativo en la que fue creada, ya que miles de personas y organizaciones de todo el mundo participaron para encontrar esos valores y principios compartidos que pueden ayudar a las sociedades a ser más sostenibles. Actualmente existe una creciente red de individuos y organizaciones que utilizan este documento como instrumento educativo y de incidencia política.[10]​.

La Declaración Universal sobre la Diversidad Cultural (Unesco, 2001) profundiza aún más en el concepto al afirmar que "... la diversidad cultural es tan necesaria para el género humano como la diversidad biológica para los organismos vivos"; se convierte en "una de las raíces del desarrollo entendido no solo en términos de crecimiento económico, sino también como un medio para lograr un balance más satisfactorio intelectual, afectivo, moral y espiritual". En esta visión, la diversidad cultural es el cuarto ámbito de la política de desarrollo sostenible.[11]​ En la misma línea conceptual se orienta la organización mundial de ciudades (Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos, CGLU) con la Agenda 21 de la cultura.

En relación con esto durante el año 2015 se desarrollaron los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (2015-2030), también conocidos por sus siglas ODS, son una iniciativa impulsada por Naciones Unidas para dar continuidad a la agenda de desarrollo tras los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM). Son 17 objetivos y 169 metas propuestos como continuación de los ODM incluyendo nuevas esferas como el cambio climático, la desigualdad económica, la innovación, el consumo sostenible, la paz y la justicia, entre otras prioridades.[12]​.

El "desarrollo verde" generalmente es diferenciado del desarrollo sostenible en que el primero puede ser visto como priorizando la "sostenibilidad ambiental" por encima de la "sostenibilidad económica y cultural". Sin embargo, el enfoque del "desarrollo verde" puede pretender objetivos a largo plazo inalcanzables. Por ejemplo, una planta de tratamiento de última tecnología con gastos de mantenimiento sumamente altos no puede ser sostenible en las regiones del mundo con menos recursos financieros. Una planta de última tecnología "respetuosa con el medio ambiente" con altos gastos de operación es menos sostenible que una planta rudimentaria, incluso si es más eficaz desde un punto de vista ambiental. Algunas investigaciones parten de esta definición para argumentar que el medio ambiente es una combinación de naturaleza y cultura. El sitio "Desarrollo sostenible en un mundo diverso" trabaja en esta dirección integrando capacidades multidisciplinarias e interpretando la diversidad cultural como un elemento clave de una nueva estrategia para el desarrollo sostenible.[13]​.

An economic and social development that respects the environment

The objective of sustainable development is to define viable projects and reconcile the economic, social, and environmental aspects of human activities; Working for sustainable development implies a comprehensive and cooperative approach from which to satisfy both present and future needs.[14]​ The "three pillars" that must be taken into account by both companies, communities and people:

Justification of sustainable development

The justification for sustainable development comes from the fact that man lives on a finite planet but has excessive consumption patterns. The Earth has limited natural resources (nutrients in the soil, drinking water, minerals, etc.), which are susceptible to depletion. Another factor is the fact of growing economic activity without any other criterion than the economic itself, both on a local and global scale. The negative impact on the planet can cause serious environmental problems that may even be irreversible.

Conditions for sustainable development

The limits of natural resources suggest three basic rules regarding the rates for such development:

According to some authors, these three rules are necessarily subject to the absence of demographic growth.[16]​

Sustainable development is called development that is capable of satisfying current needs without compromising the resources and possibilities of future generations. Intuitively, a sustainable activity is one that can be maintained. For example, cutting trees from a forest ensuring repopulation is a sustainable activity. On the other hand, consuming oil is not sustainable with current knowledge, since there is no known system to create oil from biomass. Today we know that a good part of human activities are not sustainable in the medium and long term as they are considered today. Throughout history, human beings have used their knowledge of the natural environment and the tools available to extract and transform the elements of nature that serve to satisfy their needs.

El término desarrollo sostenible se encuentra en numerosos discursos políticos, pero su aplicación es muy diversa y en ocasiones perversa.

Criticism from the precautionary principle

Some more radical environmental ideologies emphasize zero growth options and strict application of the precautionary principle, which consists of stopping certain productive activities until it is proven that they are not harmful.

Degrowth and ecosocialist criticism

Other environmentalists defend economic degrowth.[17] The latter believe that respect for the environment is not possible without reducing economic production, since we are currently above the planet's natural regeneration capacity, as demonstrated by the different ecological footprint estimates. It also questions the capacity of the modern lifestyle to produce well-being. The challenge would be to live better with less.[18]​ In the same order of ideas, the ideologue of degrowth Serge Latouche criticizes the term sustainable development, considering it simultaneously an oxymoron and pleonasm, that is, either it is development or it is sustainable but not both.[19]​.

Ecosocialism argues that capitalism, being based on growth and the constant accumulation of goods increasing the pace of growth, is ecologically unsustainable.[20]​.

Liberal criticism and market ecology

Liberal ideologies emphasize the possibility of making economic growth compatible with environmental preservation by increasing productivity (producing more, consuming fewer resources and generating less waste) and with social equity for the general improvement of living conditions (which is not always immediate).

For Terry Anderson, ideologue of market ecology, the proposal of sustainable development is another pretext for state intervention.[21]​ He argues that thanks to interventionist policies of the State and government arrogance, adequate changes have not occurred in environmental issues.[21]​.

Criticism of the steady state

However, economic development is not necessarily (according to authors such as Herman Daly) synonymous with economic growth or human development. Even so, any measure related to productive activities not only has negative or positive effects (e.g.: Clean production) on the environment and the economy of companies, but also influences employment and the social fabric.[22]​.

The three dimensions as an insufficient model

Another criticism arises in the world of culture. Today the three dimensions are not enough to reflect the intrinsic complexity of contemporary society. Culture, after all, shapes what we understand by development and determines the way people act in the world. Furthermore, neither the world as a whole nor each locality is exclusively faced with challenges of an economic, social or environmental nature. The cultural challenges are of the first magnitude: creativity, critical knowledge, diversity and beauty are essential presuppositions of sustainability, since they are intrinsically related to human development and freedom. Hence, the World Organization of Cities (UCLG) approved the Declaration in 2010 on culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development.[23]​.

19th century

Historically, the way of thinking that gave rise to the Industrial Revolution of the century essentially introduced criteria of economic growth. These criteria can be found in the calculation of gross national product, which dates back to the 1930s.

Corrections were made in the second half of the century in the social sphere, with the appearance of the non-profit organization and unionism. The term "economic and social" is part of the vocabulary.

20th century

Developed countries (or Northern countries) realized in the 1970s that their prosperity is based on the intensive use of finite natural resources, and that, consequently, in addition to economic and social issues, a third aspect was neglected: the environment. For example, the global ecological footprint exceeded the Earth's "biological" capacity to replenish itself in the mid-1970s.

For some analysts[24]​ the industrial development model is not sustainable in environmental terms, which does not allow for "development" that can last. The critical points are the depletion of natural resources (such as raw materials and fossil fuels), the destruction and fragmentation of ecosystems, the loss of biological diversity, which reduces the planet's resilience.

Development (industrial, agricultural, urban) generates immediate and postponed pollution (for example, acid rain and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and excessive exploitation of natural resources, or deforestation of the rainforest). This causes an inestimable loss of biological diversity in terms of extinction (and therefore irreversible) of plant or animal species. This evolution causes a depletion of fossil fuels and raw materials that makes peak oil imminent and brings us closer to the exhaustion of many vital natural resources.

Added to the problem of viability is a problem of equity: the poor are those who suffer the most from the ecological and climate crisis, and it is feared that the legitimate desire for growth in underdeveloped countries towards a state of similar prosperity, based on equivalent principles, implies an even more important and accelerated degradation of the biosphere. If all the nations of the world adopted the American way of life (which consumes almost a quarter of the Earth's resources for 7% of the population) it would take five to six planets like Earth to supply them. And if all the inhabitants of the planet lived with the same standard of living as the average in France, at least three planets like Earth would be needed.[25]​.

Furthermore, the industrial disasters of the last thirty years (Chernobyl, Seveso, Bhopal, Exxon Valdez, Fukushima, etc.) have drawn the attention of public opinion and associations such as WWF, Friends of the Earth or Greenpeace.

El desarrollo sostenible se refiere a la totalidad de las actividades humanas. Sin embargo, los retos de la sostenibilidad, son diferentes para cada tipo de sector económico.

Agriculture

The current approach to human nutrition is not catastrophic in itself, in the sense that Malthus predicted in his Essay on the Principle of Population. Given the development of modern food production technology, the hardship of certain populations and social strata is not motivated by the scarcity of resources, but by the organization and distribution of these resources.

The increase in agricultural production is achieved mainly through irrigation of crops, the use of fertilizers and intensive agriculture. But each of these actions, in addition to benefits, has its costs:

Productive and service activities

Sustainable development promotes productive and service activities that balance economic progress with environmental care and social inclusion. In this context, volunteering has proven to be an essential component. According to the Report on the State of Volunteering in the World, volunteers contribute significantly to economic and social development in many societies, promoting sustainable practices and fostering community cohesion. These initiatives exemplify how citizen participation can enhance the implementation of sustainable strategies at a local and global level.[39]​.

Another example is the tools for implementing sustainable development in production and services, such as the set of activities called Cleaner Production. This concept is based on the principle of sustainability of human activities required to meet basic and supplementary needs (quality of life), incorporating elements such as minimum emissions, good production and operation practices, adequate management and use of by-product and waste, reduction in the consumption of inputs, etc. In this way, it is observed that sustainable development is not in itself a sociological element, but must be part of a fabric in which production, economy, well-being and the environment always play on the same side.

This concept of sustainable development focuses on the environmental supply side, from the perspective of obtaining firm returns. That is, a basic productivity, according to the capacity that the ecosystems can provide. Another dimension of the concept is that the context from which development is focused tends to be different in Latin American countries, starting from a national scope to a global one, which is based on global and local interrelationships. The evolution of thought on development, in historical terms, has occurred within the framework of social struggles, through the struggle between capitalism and socialism, between the working class and capital and human thought and the forces of nature. Throughout the last seven decades of the century, and part of this first decade of the century, the concept of development has expanded and enriched, but it has also become fragmented, since aspects are taken from it according to the severity that countries confront in their environmental diagnosis, without being assumed as a universal orientation of care for the environment, something that is not taken into account.

UN Commission for Sustainable Development

In December 1992, the United Nations (UN) decided to create the Commission for Sustainable Development to ensure effective follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and is known as the Earth Summit. After this conference, which lasted three months, the leaders of the UN Member States approved Agenda 21,[56]​ a 300-page plan whose objective was to achieve Sustainable Development. Chapter 36 of this program is dedicated to the creation of Public Opinion.

The Commission is "an exceptional forum of the United Nations that brings together public officials and representatives of very diverse sectors of civil society to analyze and recommend solutions that promote Sustainable Development."[57]​ Through it, the guidelines to follow will be transmitted to the Member States. Among the topics that this commission deals with, the one that interests us in this case is "Education and conscience." This point is based on a program that was born in 1996 and was expanded in 1998.

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Economic-Environmental Accounting (UNCEEA) is working to make the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) an international standard by 2010 and to promote it for its implementation in different countries.[58]​.

The Commission on Sustainable Development[59]​ depends on the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Measures

Since the creation of the aforementioned program to create a Public Opinion favorable to Sustainable Development, the UN General Secretariat has prepared two results reports, one of them in 1999[60]​ and the other in 2001.[61]​ Similar conclusions are drawn from both, so we include here a summary of the most important points:.

It is interesting to stop at this point, because the creation of the programs and the subsequent reports is usually a point of debate and controversy. In this case, it is the Commission for Sustainable Development that prepares the programs, in principle without other contributions external to the UN itself. However, for the subsequent preparation of the reports it does count, as we can see, with the participation of NGOs, although in a very limited way. The UN does count on other organizations and the States themselves for the development of specific points of the program. We will see some of them below.

The culture of the people is a determining factor in sustainable development. From childhood, fundamental social values ​​must be instilled for the progress of countries; Most of these are promoting endogenous development, in order to eradicate economic dependence on other producing countries.

Sustainable endogenous development allows culture to be reinvigorated for planting, livestock raising, fishing and product production. It involves promoting social transformation, based on the recognition of our culture of caring for the environment and cooperative production relations, taking into account the following principles.

Sustainable development is conducive to appropriating our historical heritage, contributing to the identity of the people.

Argentina

In Buenos Aires, the Responsible Consumption Fair is held every Sunday, organized by the city government. It is a space in which different sustainable entrepreneurs meet with the same objective or purpose, which is to promote responsible consumption and raise awareness of environmental issues through social awareness.

At the same time, visitors to the Fair have the possibility of taking various free courses and workshops, and enjoying good music during the day.

On the other hand, the City of Buenos Aires is committed to:

Thanks to this last of its projects, Buenos Aires obtained worldwide recognition that was granted by the International Transportation Research Board in Washington D.C. This allowed the city to be placed on the list of winners along with New York and San Francisco "San Francisco (California)") (United States), Ahmedabad (India), Guangzhou (China), Medellín (Colombia) and Mexico City.

In 2014, architect Michael Reynolds and 50 volunteers built the first self-sustainable house made from garbage in Ushuaia.[65]​ A few months later, the first sustainable sentry box, made with recycled materials, was built in the same city.[66]​.

Chili

Today in Chile, sustainable management is beginning to be a strategic issue, no longer as a specific area or policy, but as part of the being and doing of the business. Social movements, environmental, political, trust and legitimacy crises, digital empowerment, among other factors, contribute to generating a change in business ethics, where values ​​such as transparency are no longer differentiating attributes, but rather demands thanks to the advancement of a new business culture in pursuit of sustainability.[67]​.

The very concept of sustainable development is contained in Law 19,300, called the Law on General Bases of the Environment. Namely, article No. 2, literal g), provides:

"*Sustainable Development: the process of sustained and equitable improvement in the quality of life of people, based on appropriate measures of conservation and protection of the environment, so as not to compromise the expectations of future generations."[68]​.

What is relevant about the concept, in addition to encompassing the economic, social and environmental elements of the definition, is the incorporation of the so-called "Intergenerational Solidarity". As academic Jorge Bermúdez has pointed out, the component of intergenerational solidarity is related to:

"Present economic growth and development should not mean that the expectations of survival and development of future generations are compromised".[69]​.

Colombia

In Colombia, environmental regulations have had significant development in the last three decades, especially since the Stockholm Convention of 1972, whose principles were included in the Code of Renewable Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Decree Law 2811 of 1974). This was one of the first efforts in Latin America to issue comprehensive regulations on the environment.

In 2014, Colombia was the second country in Latin America with the most online volunteers after Brazil.[70] Donating their time and skills, online volunteers have participated in tasks to finance sustainable development attentive to gender differences through agroforestry and ecotourism.[71]​.

Cuba

In 2006, the WWF, in a report released in the Chinese capital, Beijing, noted that Cuba was the only country in the world with sustainable development, to date.[72]​.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, the Constitution of the Republic (Art. 3) establishes Sustainable Development as one of the "primary duties of the State." According to the Ministry of the Environment, Ecuador was recognized as a model of sustainable development to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, within the framework of the XI Annual Meeting of the United Nations, Social Organizations and Civil Society.[73]​.

Mexico

Mexico has demonstrated a significant commitment to sustainable development, actively participating in the definition and implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The country has led initiatives to incorporate principles of equality, social and economic inclusion, and has promoted a multidimensional approach to poverty that considers not only income, but also access to basic rights such as food, education and health.[74]​.

In terms of institutional advances, Mexico has presented voluntary reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. In addition, the Specialized Technical Committee on Sustainable Development has been established, with the participation of various agencies of the Federal Public Administration. The Senate of the Republic has also installed a working group dedicated to the 2030 Agenda, strengthening legislative support for compliance with the SDGs.

At the sector level, programs have been implemented such as the National Agreement for the Human Right to Water and Sustainability, which seeks to guarantee universal access to drinking water for all Mexicans starting in 2025. This plan includes significant investments in the modernization of irrigation and collaboration with private sectors to improve efficiency in water use.[75]​.

However, Mexico faces challenges in the transition to clean and sustainable energy. The National Strategy for the Hydrocarbons and Natural Gas Sector 2024-2030 prioritizes oil and gas production, which has generated criticism for the lack of focus on the energy transition and environmental sustainability.[76]​.

Peru

It is, along with Costa Rica, the only countries in Latin America to fully comply with the Paris agreement on greenhouse gas reduction,[77]​ having adjusted its legal framework to this agreement, sacrificing investment opportunities, mainly in the mining and metallurgical sector. Likewise, on April 29, 2019, the Vision of Peru for 2050 was approved, which proposes five axes that summarize the vision that we want to achieve with respect to Peruvian society. Two of the five proposed axes are directly linked to the Sustainable Development goals:

Spain

It has a Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development[78]​ and Law 45/2007, of December 13, on Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment").[79]​.

The future Sustainable Economy Law is a legislative initiative approved in the Council of Ministers held on November 27, 2009 and aimed at placing the Spanish economy on the foundations of knowledge and innovation, with environmentally friendly tools and in an environment that favors quality employment, equal opportunities and social cohesion.[80]​.

The production and management of waste from all types of works is regulated: building, urbanization, demolition, renovation, etc.

Its objective is to promote, in this order, their prevention, reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery, ensuring that those destined for disposal operations receive adequate treatment, and contribute to the sustainable development of this activity. For these purposes, the drafting of a Construction-Demolition Waste Management Plan (RCD) "Construction-Demolition Waste Management Plan (RCD)" is mandatory.[81]​.

Contenido

El concepto de desarrollo sostenible refleja una creciente conciencia acerca de la contradicción que puede darse entre crecimiento y desarrollo. "El crecimiento económico es una condición necesaria pero no suficiente para el desarrollo. El crecimiento económico es un proceso a lo largo del tiempo durante el cual el nivel de actividad económica aumenta constantemente. Se considera que un país crece cuando su producción de bienes y servicios aumenta en el largo plazo. Por lo tanto el crecimiento económico se observa en el seguimiento de la evolución del PBI (Producto Interno Bruto). Por su parte el desarrollo económico se refiere a un crecimiento que genera una mejor distribución del ingreso y de la riqueza y que es capaz de reproducir las mejores técnicas de producción en cada uno de los sectores. Asimismo, el desarrollo es un crecimiento mas justo socialmente, sin indigencia y con oportunidades de progreso social para todos los habitantes del país"[5]​.

Esta conciencia de los costos humanos, naturales y medioambientales del desarrollo y el progreso ha venido a modificar la actitud de despreocupación o justificación que al respecto imperó durante mucho tiempo. La idea de un crecimiento económico sin límites y en pos del cual todo podía sacrificarse vino a ser reemplazada por una conciencia de esos límites y de la importancia de crear condiciones de largo plazo que hagan posible un bienestar para las actuales generaciones que no se haga al precio de una amenaza o deterioro de las condiciones de vida futuras de la humanidad.[6]​.

El desarrollo sostenible se aceptó exclusivamente en las cuestiones ambientales. En términos más generales, las políticas de desarrollo sostenible afectan a tres áreas: económica, ambiental y social. En apoyo a esto, varios textos de las Naciones Unidas, incluyendo el Documento Final de la cumbre mundial en el 2005,[7]​ se refieren a los tres componentes del desarrollo sostenible, que son el desarrollo económico, el desarrollo social y la protección del medio ambiente, como "pilares interdependientes que se refuerzan mutuamente".

La puesta en práctica del desarrollo sostenible tiene como fundamento ciertos valores y principios éticos. La Carta de la Tierra[8]​ presenta una articulación comprensiva e integral de los valores y principios relacionados con la sostenibilidad. Este documento, consiste en una declaración de la ética global para un mundo sostenible, desarrollado a partir de un proceso participativo global, por un período de 10 años, iniciado en la Cumbre de Río 92,[9]​ y el cual culminó en el año 2000. La legitimidad de la Carta de la Tierra proviene precisamente del proceso participativo en la que fue creada, ya que miles de personas y organizaciones de todo el mundo participaron para encontrar esos valores y principios compartidos que pueden ayudar a las sociedades a ser más sostenibles. Actualmente existe una creciente red de individuos y organizaciones que utilizan este documento como instrumento educativo y de incidencia política.[10]​.

La Declaración Universal sobre la Diversidad Cultural (Unesco, 2001) profundiza aún más en el concepto al afirmar que "... la diversidad cultural es tan necesaria para el género humano como la diversidad biológica para los organismos vivos"; se convierte en "una de las raíces del desarrollo entendido no solo en términos de crecimiento económico, sino también como un medio para lograr un balance más satisfactorio intelectual, afectivo, moral y espiritual". En esta visión, la diversidad cultural es el cuarto ámbito de la política de desarrollo sostenible.[11]​ En la misma línea conceptual se orienta la organización mundial de ciudades (Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos, CGLU) con la Agenda 21 de la cultura.

En relación con esto durante el año 2015 se desarrollaron los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (2015-2030), también conocidos por sus siglas ODS, son una iniciativa impulsada por Naciones Unidas para dar continuidad a la agenda de desarrollo tras los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM). Son 17 objetivos y 169 metas propuestos como continuación de los ODM incluyendo nuevas esferas como el cambio climático, la desigualdad económica, la innovación, el consumo sostenible, la paz y la justicia, entre otras prioridades.[12]​.

El "desarrollo verde" generalmente es diferenciado del desarrollo sostenible en que el primero puede ser visto como priorizando la "sostenibilidad ambiental" por encima de la "sostenibilidad económica y cultural". Sin embargo, el enfoque del "desarrollo verde" puede pretender objetivos a largo plazo inalcanzables. Por ejemplo, una planta de tratamiento de última tecnología con gastos de mantenimiento sumamente altos no puede ser sostenible en las regiones del mundo con menos recursos financieros. Una planta de última tecnología "respetuosa con el medio ambiente" con altos gastos de operación es menos sostenible que una planta rudimentaria, incluso si es más eficaz desde un punto de vista ambiental. Algunas investigaciones parten de esta definición para argumentar que el medio ambiente es una combinación de naturaleza y cultura. El sitio "Desarrollo sostenible en un mundo diverso" trabaja en esta dirección integrando capacidades multidisciplinarias e interpretando la diversidad cultural como un elemento clave de una nueva estrategia para el desarrollo sostenible.[13]​.

An economic and social development that respects the environment

The objective of sustainable development is to define viable projects and reconcile the economic, social, and environmental aspects of human activities; Working for sustainable development implies a comprehensive and cooperative approach from which to satisfy both present and future needs.[14]​ The "three pillars" that must be taken into account by both companies, communities and people:

Justification of sustainable development

The justification for sustainable development comes from the fact that man lives on a finite planet but has excessive consumption patterns. The Earth has limited natural resources (nutrients in the soil, drinking water, minerals, etc.), which are susceptible to depletion. Another factor is the fact of growing economic activity without any other criterion than the economic itself, both on a local and global scale. The negative impact on the planet can cause serious environmental problems that may even be irreversible.

Conditions for sustainable development

The limits of natural resources suggest three basic rules regarding the rates for such development:

According to some authors, these three rules are necessarily subject to the absence of demographic growth.[16]​

Sustainable development is called development that is capable of satisfying current needs without compromising the resources and possibilities of future generations. Intuitively, a sustainable activity is one that can be maintained. For example, cutting trees from a forest ensuring repopulation is a sustainable activity. On the other hand, consuming oil is not sustainable with current knowledge, since there is no known system to create oil from biomass. Today we know that a good part of human activities are not sustainable in the medium and long term as they are considered today. Throughout history, human beings have used their knowledge of the natural environment and the tools available to extract and transform the elements of nature that serve to satisfy their needs.

El término desarrollo sostenible se encuentra en numerosos discursos políticos, pero su aplicación es muy diversa y en ocasiones perversa.

Criticism from the precautionary principle

Some more radical environmental ideologies emphasize zero growth options and strict application of the precautionary principle, which consists of stopping certain productive activities until it is proven that they are not harmful.

Degrowth and ecosocialist criticism

Other environmentalists defend economic degrowth.[17] The latter believe that respect for the environment is not possible without reducing economic production, since we are currently above the planet's natural regeneration capacity, as demonstrated by the different ecological footprint estimates. It also questions the capacity of the modern lifestyle to produce well-being. The challenge would be to live better with less.[18]​ In the same order of ideas, the ideologue of degrowth Serge Latouche criticizes the term sustainable development, considering it simultaneously an oxymoron and pleonasm, that is, either it is development or it is sustainable but not both.[19]​.

Ecosocialism argues that capitalism, being based on growth and the constant accumulation of goods increasing the pace of growth, is ecologically unsustainable.[20]​.

Liberal criticism and market ecology

Liberal ideologies emphasize the possibility of making economic growth compatible with environmental preservation by increasing productivity (producing more, consuming fewer resources and generating less waste) and with social equity for the general improvement of living conditions (which is not always immediate).

For Terry Anderson, ideologue of market ecology, the proposal of sustainable development is another pretext for state intervention.[21]​ He argues that thanks to interventionist policies of the State and government arrogance, adequate changes have not occurred in environmental issues.[21]​.

Criticism of the steady state

However, economic development is not necessarily (according to authors such as Herman Daly) synonymous with economic growth or human development. Even so, any measure related to productive activities not only has negative or positive effects (e.g.: Clean production) on the environment and the economy of companies, but also influences employment and the social fabric.[22]​.

The three dimensions as an insufficient model

Another criticism arises in the world of culture. Today the three dimensions are not enough to reflect the intrinsic complexity of contemporary society. Culture, after all, shapes what we understand by development and determines the way people act in the world. Furthermore, neither the world as a whole nor each locality is exclusively faced with challenges of an economic, social or environmental nature. The cultural challenges are of the first magnitude: creativity, critical knowledge, diversity and beauty are essential presuppositions of sustainability, since they are intrinsically related to human development and freedom. Hence, the World Organization of Cities (UCLG) approved the Declaration in 2010 on culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development.[23]​.

19th century

Historically, the way of thinking that gave rise to the Industrial Revolution of the century essentially introduced criteria of economic growth. These criteria can be found in the calculation of gross national product, which dates back to the 1930s.

Corrections were made in the second half of the century in the social sphere, with the appearance of the non-profit organization and unionism. The term "economic and social" is part of the vocabulary.

20th century

Developed countries (or Northern countries) realized in the 1970s that their prosperity is based on the intensive use of finite natural resources, and that, consequently, in addition to economic and social issues, a third aspect was neglected: the environment. For example, the global ecological footprint exceeded the Earth's "biological" capacity to replenish itself in the mid-1970s.

For some analysts[24]​ the industrial development model is not sustainable in environmental terms, which does not allow for "development" that can last. The critical points are the depletion of natural resources (such as raw materials and fossil fuels), the destruction and fragmentation of ecosystems, the loss of biological diversity, which reduces the planet's resilience.

Development (industrial, agricultural, urban) generates immediate and postponed pollution (for example, acid rain and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and excessive exploitation of natural resources, or deforestation of the rainforest). This causes an inestimable loss of biological diversity in terms of extinction (and therefore irreversible) of plant or animal species. This evolution causes a depletion of fossil fuels and raw materials that makes peak oil imminent and brings us closer to the exhaustion of many vital natural resources.

Added to the problem of viability is a problem of equity: the poor are those who suffer the most from the ecological and climate crisis, and it is feared that the legitimate desire for growth in underdeveloped countries towards a state of similar prosperity, based on equivalent principles, implies an even more important and accelerated degradation of the biosphere. If all the nations of the world adopted the American way of life (which consumes almost a quarter of the Earth's resources for 7% of the population) it would take five to six planets like Earth to supply them. And if all the inhabitants of the planet lived with the same standard of living as the average in France, at least three planets like Earth would be needed.[25]​.

Furthermore, the industrial disasters of the last thirty years (Chernobyl, Seveso, Bhopal, Exxon Valdez, Fukushima, etc.) have drawn the attention of public opinion and associations such as WWF, Friends of the Earth or Greenpeace.

El desarrollo sostenible se refiere a la totalidad de las actividades humanas. Sin embargo, los retos de la sostenibilidad, son diferentes para cada tipo de sector económico.

Agriculture

The current approach to human nutrition is not catastrophic in itself, in the sense that Malthus predicted in his Essay on the Principle of Population. Given the development of modern food production technology, the hardship of certain populations and social strata is not motivated by the scarcity of resources, but by the organization and distribution of these resources.

The increase in agricultural production is achieved mainly through irrigation of crops, the use of fertilizers and intensive agriculture. But each of these actions, in addition to benefits, has its costs:

Productive and service activities

Sustainable development promotes productive and service activities that balance economic progress with environmental care and social inclusion. In this context, volunteering has proven to be an essential component. According to the Report on the State of Volunteering in the World, volunteers contribute significantly to economic and social development in many societies, promoting sustainable practices and fostering community cohesion. These initiatives exemplify how citizen participation can enhance the implementation of sustainable strategies at a local and global level.[39]​.

Another example is the tools for implementing sustainable development in production and services, such as the set of activities called Cleaner Production. This concept is based on the principle of sustainability of human activities required to meet basic and supplementary needs (quality of life), incorporating elements such as minimum emissions, good production and operation practices, adequate management and use of by-product and waste, reduction in the consumption of inputs, etc. In this way, it is observed that sustainable development is not in itself a sociological element, but must be part of a fabric in which production, economy, well-being and the environment always play on the same side.

This concept of sustainable development focuses on the environmental supply side, from the perspective of obtaining firm returns. That is, a basic productivity, according to the capacity that the ecosystems can provide. Another dimension of the concept is that the context from which development is focused tends to be different in Latin American countries, starting from a national scope to a global one, which is based on global and local interrelationships. The evolution of thought on development, in historical terms, has occurred within the framework of social struggles, through the struggle between capitalism and socialism, between the working class and capital and human thought and the forces of nature. Throughout the last seven decades of the century, and part of this first decade of the century, the concept of development has expanded and enriched, but it has also become fragmented, since aspects are taken from it according to the severity that countries confront in their environmental diagnosis, without being assumed as a universal orientation of care for the environment, something that is not taken into account.

UN Commission for Sustainable Development

In December 1992, the United Nations (UN) decided to create the Commission for Sustainable Development to ensure effective follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and is known as the Earth Summit. After this conference, which lasted three months, the leaders of the UN Member States approved Agenda 21,[56]​ a 300-page plan whose objective was to achieve Sustainable Development. Chapter 36 of this program is dedicated to the creation of Public Opinion.

The Commission is "an exceptional forum of the United Nations that brings together public officials and representatives of very diverse sectors of civil society to analyze and recommend solutions that promote Sustainable Development."[57]​ Through it, the guidelines to follow will be transmitted to the Member States. Among the topics that this commission deals with, the one that interests us in this case is "Education and conscience." This point is based on a program that was born in 1996 and was expanded in 1998.

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Economic-Environmental Accounting (UNCEEA) is working to make the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) an international standard by 2010 and to promote it for its implementation in different countries.[58]​.

The Commission on Sustainable Development[59]​ depends on the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Measures

Since the creation of the aforementioned program to create a Public Opinion favorable to Sustainable Development, the UN General Secretariat has prepared two results reports, one of them in 1999[60]​ and the other in 2001.[61]​ Similar conclusions are drawn from both, so we include here a summary of the most important points:.

It is interesting to stop at this point, because the creation of the programs and the subsequent reports is usually a point of debate and controversy. In this case, it is the Commission for Sustainable Development that prepares the programs, in principle without other contributions external to the UN itself. However, for the subsequent preparation of the reports it does count, as we can see, with the participation of NGOs, although in a very limited way. The UN does count on other organizations and the States themselves for the development of specific points of the program. We will see some of them below.

The culture of the people is a determining factor in sustainable development. From childhood, fundamental social values ​​must be instilled for the progress of countries; Most of these are promoting endogenous development, in order to eradicate economic dependence on other producing countries.

Sustainable endogenous development allows culture to be reinvigorated for planting, livestock raising, fishing and product production. It involves promoting social transformation, based on the recognition of our culture of caring for the environment and cooperative production relations, taking into account the following principles.

Sustainable development is conducive to appropriating our historical heritage, contributing to the identity of the people.

Argentina

In Buenos Aires, the Responsible Consumption Fair is held every Sunday, organized by the city government. It is a space in which different sustainable entrepreneurs meet with the same objective or purpose, which is to promote responsible consumption and raise awareness of environmental issues through social awareness.

At the same time, visitors to the Fair have the possibility of taking various free courses and workshops, and enjoying good music during the day.

On the other hand, the City of Buenos Aires is committed to:

Thanks to this last of its projects, Buenos Aires obtained worldwide recognition that was granted by the International Transportation Research Board in Washington D.C. This allowed the city to be placed on the list of winners along with New York and San Francisco "San Francisco (California)") (United States), Ahmedabad (India), Guangzhou (China), Medellín (Colombia) and Mexico City.

In 2014, architect Michael Reynolds and 50 volunteers built the first self-sustainable house made from garbage in Ushuaia.[65]​ A few months later, the first sustainable sentry box, made with recycled materials, was built in the same city.[66]​.

Chili

Today in Chile, sustainable management is beginning to be a strategic issue, no longer as a specific area or policy, but as part of the being and doing of the business. Social movements, environmental, political, trust and legitimacy crises, digital empowerment, among other factors, contribute to generating a change in business ethics, where values ​​such as transparency are no longer differentiating attributes, but rather demands thanks to the advancement of a new business culture in pursuit of sustainability.[67]​.

The very concept of sustainable development is contained in Law 19,300, called the Law on General Bases of the Environment. Namely, article No. 2, literal g), provides:

"*Sustainable Development: the process of sustained and equitable improvement in the quality of life of people, based on appropriate measures of conservation and protection of the environment, so as not to compromise the expectations of future generations."[68]​.

What is relevant about the concept, in addition to encompassing the economic, social and environmental elements of the definition, is the incorporation of the so-called "Intergenerational Solidarity". As academic Jorge Bermúdez has pointed out, the component of intergenerational solidarity is related to:

"Present economic growth and development should not mean that the expectations of survival and development of future generations are compromised".[69]​.

Colombia

In Colombia, environmental regulations have had significant development in the last three decades, especially since the Stockholm Convention of 1972, whose principles were included in the Code of Renewable Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Decree Law 2811 of 1974). This was one of the first efforts in Latin America to issue comprehensive regulations on the environment.

In 2014, Colombia was the second country in Latin America with the most online volunteers after Brazil.[70] Donating their time and skills, online volunteers have participated in tasks to finance sustainable development attentive to gender differences through agroforestry and ecotourism.[71]​.

Cuba

In 2006, the WWF, in a report released in the Chinese capital, Beijing, noted that Cuba was the only country in the world with sustainable development, to date.[72]​.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, the Constitution of the Republic (Art. 3) establishes Sustainable Development as one of the "primary duties of the State." According to the Ministry of the Environment, Ecuador was recognized as a model of sustainable development to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, within the framework of the XI Annual Meeting of the United Nations, Social Organizations and Civil Society.[73]​.

Mexico

Mexico has demonstrated a significant commitment to sustainable development, actively participating in the definition and implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The country has led initiatives to incorporate principles of equality, social and economic inclusion, and has promoted a multidimensional approach to poverty that considers not only income, but also access to basic rights such as food, education and health.[74]​.

In terms of institutional advances, Mexico has presented voluntary reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. In addition, the Specialized Technical Committee on Sustainable Development has been established, with the participation of various agencies of the Federal Public Administration. The Senate of the Republic has also installed a working group dedicated to the 2030 Agenda, strengthening legislative support for compliance with the SDGs.

At the sector level, programs have been implemented such as the National Agreement for the Human Right to Water and Sustainability, which seeks to guarantee universal access to drinking water for all Mexicans starting in 2025. This plan includes significant investments in the modernization of irrigation and collaboration with private sectors to improve efficiency in water use.[75]​.

However, Mexico faces challenges in the transition to clean and sustainable energy. The National Strategy for the Hydrocarbons and Natural Gas Sector 2024-2030 prioritizes oil and gas production, which has generated criticism for the lack of focus on the energy transition and environmental sustainability.[76]​.

Peru

It is, along with Costa Rica, the only countries in Latin America to fully comply with the Paris agreement on greenhouse gas reduction,[77]​ having adjusted its legal framework to this agreement, sacrificing investment opportunities, mainly in the mining and metallurgical sector. Likewise, on April 29, 2019, the Vision of Peru for 2050 was approved, which proposes five axes that summarize the vision that we want to achieve with respect to Peruvian society. Two of the five proposed axes are directly linked to the Sustainable Development goals:

Spain

It has a Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development[78]​ and Law 45/2007, of December 13, on Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment").[79]​.

The future Sustainable Economy Law is a legislative initiative approved in the Council of Ministers held on November 27, 2009 and aimed at placing the Spanish economy on the foundations of knowledge and innovation, with environmentally friendly tools and in an environment that favors quality employment, equal opportunities and social cohesion.[80]​.

The production and management of waste from all types of works is regulated: building, urbanization, demolition, renovation, etc.

Its objective is to promote, in this order, their prevention, reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery, ensuring that those destined for disposal operations receive adequate treatment, and contribute to the sustainable development of this activity. For these purposes, the drafting of a Construction-Demolition Waste Management Plan (RCD) "Construction-Demolition Waste Management Plan (RCD)" is mandatory.[81]​.