What does sustainable development mean to us?

Sustainable Development is about thinking and working in a profoundly different way, so that we create a better space to live, learn and work for all.
Understanding of the relationship between and amongst the three important aspects of life on earth (environmental, social and economic) has evolved over the past four decades.

The evolving perceptions of this relationship in the context of sustainable development are illustrated in the attached diagrams:

Diagram 1 was developed/used in the 1970's.
Diagram 2 reflects the model that was used more recently.
Diagram 3 reflects an understanding that the ecosystem services (water, plants, animals, soil etc) provide the support for a sound economy and healthy socio-political system. Diagram 3 seems to reflect a more appropriate and modern interpretation of sustainable development.
We cannot deny that we rely on earth (environment) for human activity and resources (social and economic). It is different from the other two representations in that it shows that the three aspects are integrally embedded in each other and are not separate nor overlap at only certain points.

Sustainable development is a way of thinking about how we organise our lives and work - including our education system - so that we don't destroy our most precious resource - the planet, Earth.

People in all parts of the world need to find solutions to improve their quality of life without creating problems for the future, or impacting unfairly on other people's lives. Sustainable development means much more than recycling bottles or giving money to charity!