ABSTRACT
An examination of the various ideas, debates, and history that have shaped the concept of sustainability formed the first task of this volume. In this chapter and the next, we aim to explore how the concept is used and interpreted. As we have explained, the idea of sustainable development as a pathway to sustainability was popularized and more widely utilized as a result of the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report on sustainable development. Often something is labeled as a “sustainable” action when it helps to meet the needs of current generations while accounting for or avoiding the deprivation of future generations, typically through consideration of the socalled three pillars of sustainability. It is, however, governments that have ultimately been tasked by international organizations, such as the United Nations, with forming and implementing policies or plans that support the aims of sustainable development and thus the sustainability of our social, economic, and environmental systems. As Hans Bruyninckx (2006) notes, the underlying message of Our Common Future is that we have entered a period in which our greatest challenges are global challenges that require global solutions. Solutions, therefore, must be developed between and among sovereign nations committed to a common global goal.
