ABSTRACT
Mads Øvlisen, until recently the Chief Executive of the Danishpharmaceutical and enzymes company, Novo Nordisk1 offers his preferred definition of sustainable development at the outset of many of his public talks as being: ‘A way of dealing with the planet as if it is on loan from our children rather than inherited from our parents.’2 This striking and poetic metaphor invariably and rightly resonates well with his audience. Certainly, it provides a more accessible insight into the essence of sustainable development than most of the many hundreds of more technical definitions available.
