The Real World Coalition, an alliance of NGOs campaigning on sustainability issues, believes that the core concepts behind sustainable development suggest that:
·        the environment, globally and locally, must be protected so that the critical life support services it provides are maintained for present and future generations;

·        environmental policy and economic policy must be integrated if this is to happen;

·        the main goal of economic development should be to create conditions for people to enjoy a better quality of life, not simply the pursuit of quantitative growth in the economy;

·        the pursuit of sustainable development must include policies to eliminate poverty, in the industrialized and developing world alike; and

·        all parts of society must be involved in decision-making about the measures that will bring about the transition to sustainable economic and social systems over the coming decades

 

From Here to Sustainability, Christie & Warburton, 2001, pp. 29 – 30

 

Sustainable development provides a framework for redefining progress and redirecting our economies to enable all people to meet their basic needs and improve their quality of life, while ensuring that the natural systems, resources and diversity upon which they depend are maintained and enhanced both for their benefit adn for that of  future generations.

 

Sustainable development is inevitably a contested idea, dependent on finding the right balance between different and often conflicting objectives through much more integrated policy-making and planning processes. Putting its principles into practice demands debate, experimentation and continuous learning, and therefore requires a thriving democracy to allow it to evolve and flourish.