United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

What is Sustainable Development ?

Developing an understanding of the emerging concept of sustainable development is the focus of one of 25 modules in UNESCO's multimedia teacher education programme Teaching and learning for a sustainable future.


This multimedia programme is available on CD-Rom and on-line.

Published initially in English, versions adapted to suit different national and regional contexts as well as in additional languages are being developed.

ArticlesWhat is sustainable development ?
The term 'sustainable development' was popularised by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in its 1987 report entitled Our Common Future.
ArticlesSustainable Human Development
Since the Earth Summit, sustainable development has been a key theme as a series of United Nations conferences discussing pathways to development.
ArticlesThinking about the Future
No one knows what the future will be, except that it will be very different from what life is today and that decisions about whether the future is a sustainable one or not will depend upon changes in human culture.
ArticlesThinking about Forever
Underlying all our images of a sustainable future is the key principle that sustainability is about 'thinking about forever'.
ArticlesA Dynamic Balance
The dynamic balance between cultural differences and this emerging global ethic is a key concept in educating for a sustainable future.
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