ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the concepts 'sustainable development', 'sustainable' and 'sustainability', the background, the significance and the actual application of these concepts in the Arctic strategies and policies of Arctic states and in the co-operation between Arctic states, primarily in the Arctic Council. The public documents include reports and decisions of the Arctic Council – including the declarations of the biannual Ministerial, the Arctic countries' Arctic strategies and policies, and Arctic states national reports related to activities following up on UN sustainable development initiatives. All Arctic states have developed national Arctic strategies, and these all include strategic considerations, reflections and goals related to sustainable development. It has been a significant concept both as an overall vision and a strategic goal globally, regionally as well as nationally. A more thorough analysis of sustainable development as a strategic goal presupposes that the system of concepts and the preconditions listed in the Brundtland Report are applied.
