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Understanding Sustainable Development — Agenda 21 <br />Understanding Sustainable Development — Agenda 21 <br />What is Sustainable <br />Development? <br />The most common definition of Sustainable Development given by <br />its proponents is a statement found in the Brundtland Report, Our <br />Common Future, released during the 1987 United Nations World <br />Commission on Environment and Development: <br />"Development that meets the needs of the present <br />without compromising the ability of future generations <br />to meet their own needs." <br />— Gro Harlem Brundtland <br />Historical Development and Origins <br />Even the term "sustainable" must be defined, since on the surface it <br />appears to be inherently positive. In reality, Sustainable Development <br />has become a "buzz" term that refers to a political agenda, rather <br />than an objectively sustainable form of development. Specifically, it <br />refers to an initiative of the United Nations (U.N.) called Sustainable <br />Development Agenda 21. Sustainable Development Agenda 21 <br />is a comprehensive statement of a political ideology that is being <br />progressively infused into every level of government in America. <br />Known around the world simply as Agenda 21, this initiative is "a <br />comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally, and <br />locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, <br />and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts [sic] on the <br />environment."1 <br />Agenda 21 was unveiled in 1992 during the United Nations <br />Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), commonly <br />1. http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda2l/ <br />1 1.L © I Mb./hv+w.rn v�A.M/MatlMk* mYb/agard.l7ANI VQ <br />Ilpme <br />About II. <br />CnmmN.mn on <br />SUHHnabl. <br />D.u.lopment <br />N.Nonal <br />Inf.tmaUnn <br />Maio, fanops <br />Patln.nh,pa <br />Small blend <br />Dan lopinq <br />,l,tn <br />laahnical <br />Co.pelalinn <br />PubIlulInns <br />N.w'U•die <br />UM Innr aq.noy <br />Coordmauon <br />Cal.ndar <br />LFJ�J <br />United Nations <br />Division for Sustainable Development �r <br />Re obrOry n,/uture pmemtlons fo Mee <br />A9.Ma prr one pq an uern to <br />r.9. <br />lahm plab4l , n.wMry and m Kamnatlwa <br />M, by pani' <br />IM U.a 9alwns >y Ham. 4 bMt. 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Spun** zm <br />frlLlisYillrI s__.rr Elba¢1em <br />Com0MnN 4np supp•,ann1 <br />1p wan 2003 <br />oe <br />Image 1.: The United Nations website clearly <br />displays Agenda 21 documents <br />known as the Rio <br />Earth Summit, where <br />more than 178 nations <br />adopted Agenda 21, <br />and pledged to evaluate <br />progress made in <br />implementing the <br />plan every five years <br />thereafter. President <br />George H. W. Bush was <br />the signatory for the <br />United States.2 <br />Although Congress <br />never authorized <br />the implementation <br />of Agenda 213(as <br />a soft -law policy <br />recommendation4— not <br />a treaty — it needs no <br />ratification), in 1993, <br />President Bill Clinton <br />established, by Executive <br />Order 12852, the President's Council on Sustainable Development <br />2. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/RioEarthSum <br />3. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) submitted a resolution (H.J. Res. 166) to the <br />103rd Congress on March 29, 1993 urging the President and Congress to <br />"assume a strong leadership role in implementing the decisions made at <br />the Earth Summit by developing a national strategy to implement Agenda <br />21 and other Earth Summit agreements...." Though that bill stalled in <br />the Subcommittee on Economic Policy, Trade and Environment, its <br />recommendations have been implemented through various actions by the <br />President, and Congress. <br />4. "Soft law" policy is not binding. This is a common procedure in the U.N.'s <br />policy development strategy. "Soft law" documents are quite often followed by <br />treaties or covenants, which are binding international law; alternately, soft law <br />can find immediate application through local legislation or policy without an <br />internationally binding agreement. <br />— 2 — <br />— 3 — <br />