ABSTRACT
Sustainable development is a development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations”, and it is intrinsically linked with the state of our planet. Sustainable development aims to preserve the planet, not primarily for the sake of itself, but for the sake of future generations to come. Fuelled by exploitative production methods and technological progress, the quantity of human beings living on Earth has by far exceeded the planet’s biological carrying capacity. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment gives an extensive overview of how human well being depends on the integrity of biomes, the major types of ecosystem that constitute the planet’s ecosphere. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a list of several goals reflecting areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet. Ecosystems influence human beings by providing a wide variety of ecosystem services.
