'using, conserving and enhancing the community's resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased'.ESD includes the following principles:
Our responsibilities to succeeding generations. We should not leave a legacy of of damaged environment and reduced resources for future generations.
We should not impose environmental costs on other people without an equitable sharing of environmental benefits. Just solutions must be found.
This is relevant at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystems diversity. Impacts on biodiversity may be either direct or indirect. Developments may directly impact on biota. However, indirect effects may also occur. For example, generation of Greenhouse gases may have widespread effects through climate change.
'Where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation'.This does not necessarily mean that where there is uncertainty we cannot proceed with a proposal, but rather that we need to proceed with caution and weigh up the risk-weighted consequences of various options. We need to acknowledge uncertainty and in making decisions give due regard on how best to cater for that uncertainty.
Decisions need to recognise the potential consequences on a very broad scale extending to a global perspective.
Diverse economies should be able to with stand short-term fluctuations and should be flexible enough to adapt to longer term structural change without compromising their ability to contribute to sustainability.