Learning From Sweden's Eco-municipalities
North Americans learn sustainability methods and models from Sweden's eco-municipalities which use a democratic planning process called the Natural Step framework.
"[Sweden's] 70 'eco-municipalities'...have voluntarily committed to integrating sustainability principles as official, across-the-board policy. From rural villages to the urban capital of Stockholm, the communities arrived at decisions and crafted innovative green solutions using a holistic, democratic planning process called the Natural Step framework (TNS). TNS combines a scientifically based definition of sustainability with a systems approach to community planning...
To become sustainable, societies need to meet four "system conditions": reduce or eliminate the use of substances extracted from the Earth's crust (like oil) and produced by society (like synthetic chemicals); reduce or eliminate the degradation of ecosystems (like sprawling development); and at the same time, meet human needs. Participants envision a better future, then figure out how to get there using community assets."
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Sustainability - Shibboleth or Indicator
Sustainable development has become an article of faith, a shibboleth. What does the term actually mean?
At the Untied Nations Conference at Stockholm in 1972 the concept of Sustainable Development (SD) was first interpreted as an approach to integrate conservation and development by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This led to a publication being produced known as the World Conservation Strategy in 1980. The strategy states that SD “must take account of social and ecological factors, as well as economic ones; of living and non-living resource base; and of the long term advantages and disadvantages of alternative actions”.
The approach by the World Commission on Environment and Development is more direct, referred to as the 'Bruntland Report', it states “Sustainable development should meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their owns needs”. According to the Report, the concept of Sustainable Development does not imply limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technology and social organization on environmental resources. It further states that sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony but involves a process were change is inevitable. The risk of which is how the exploitation of resources, direction of investments, the use technology and institutional changes are used with respect to the future and the needs experienced now. By recognising the link between social, economic, political and ecological systems Bruntland defines SD more broadly than just in terms of ecological criteria.
Way back in 1993, the World Conservation Union prepared a paper called ‘Guide to Preparing and Implementing National Sustainable Development Strategies and Other Multi-sectoral Environment and Development Strategies’ it stated that SD means achieving a quality of life (or standard of living) that can be maintained for many generations.