Current Debates on Environment and Sustainability: Major Issues and Limits

Abstract

In the current age, the issue of the environment and its sustainability rep resents one of the most critical human concerns that has drawn global attention, generated worldwide discourse, and generated an enormous num ber of international conventions, national institutions, and local non-gov ernment organizations (NGOs). An environmentally sustainable mode of human development has gained increasing prominence due to catastrophic events and issues such as nuclear accidents, oil spills, the greenhouse effect, rise in sea levels, water pollution, deforestation, ozone depletion, land degra dation, and a loss of biodiversity (Korten, 1990:14; Hempel, 1996:29). The idea of 'sustainable development', used in World Conservation Strategy: Living Resources Conservation for Sustainable Development, became more appealing through the publication of Our Common Future (IUCN, 1980; WCED, 1987). The sustainable development model also became globalized through some of the largest international forums on the environment and sustainability, espe cially the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or the Earth Summit (1992), attended by 30,000 people includ ing 100 heads of state, 1,500 NGO representatives, and 7,000 journalists (Reid, 1995:181). There were many subsequent events on sustainability, including the APEC Meeting of Environment Ministers on Sustainable Development