The theme of the month: 'Be part of the solution'

Week26What is sustainable development and corporate sustainability?
7.1.1 – What is Sustainable Development?


The human race has come a long way in furthering the concept of sustainable development since it was first officially coined in 1987. How sustainable are we today?

Sustainable development was first given a world-wide defining meaning some twenty years ago in the 1987 World Commission report Our Common Future (often called the Brundtland report), as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". For the first time, the human race has a global concept that points out the importance of recognizing environmental and social values in addition to economic ones.

Through the years sustainable development has evolved in the business landscape and some companies now refer to it as the Triple Bottom Lines (Society, Environment and Economy) or the 3P’s Principles, i.e. to balance People, Planet and Profit. In the 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report, HSBC made a solid commitment broadcasted by Group Chairman Stephen Green’s message, stating that “How a business like HSBC responds to the challenge of balancing the needs of people, planet and profit is part of [our] corporate responsibility strategy”.
Q&A
Woo :
Which of the following groups contain area(s) not within the scope of sustainable development as defined by the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development?

Wee :
1. Education and awareness / Finance / Consumption and production patterns
2. National defense / Biotechnology / Human settlements
3. Atmosphere / Water / Forests
4. Sanitation / Waste (Solid, Hazardous and Radioactive) / Toxic chemicals

Select your answer below
A. Only 1.
B. Only 2.
C. 3 and 4.




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