Author(s)

Y. K. Choy

Abstract

This paper conceptually and empirically reflects on the 28 years since the publication of the Brundtland Report by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 and questions why the world, especially the developing world, is still heading towards an unsustainable path of development. The paper concludes that while the Brundtland Commission has succeeded in getting the international community to integrate environmental concerns into the development process, it has neglected to consider how this integration may be articulated based on certain ethical action-guiding principles. Thus, acknowledging that effective environmental protection is a function of environmental ethics, the way to sustainable development would be for society to return to a non-exploitative, mutually supportive relationship with nature at both individual and institutional levels.

Keywords

“Our Common Future”, Rio+20, sustainable development, Brundtland-Rio’s trait of sustainability, environmental ethics