How to overcome the limitations inherent in sustainable development

Statement of the Problem: Sustainable development is the ideology and practical strategy of the present and future socio-economic development in harmony with nature. A wide range of policies and practical activities have been launched at a global, national and regional level in order to achieve sustainable development since its concept and implication emerged in 1987 by WCED. In 2015, United Nations adopted a set of sustainable development goals to be achieved over the next 15 years as a follow-up action plan of millennium development goals. However, it is true that sustainable development is not achieved as successfully as planned. This would mean that sustainable development includes limitations in its concept and implication. Nonetheless, it is quite rare to conduct a research on the limitations inherent in sustainable development. In such a context, this paper aims at exploring the limitations inherent in sustainable development and how to overcome them.

Methodology and Theoretical Orientation: In order to achieve the objectives, this paper will first examine the emergence process of sustainable development, and followed by its concept and implication, the debates on its concept and implication in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the concept and implications of sustainable development goal launched in in 2015. Based on the findings from the above reviews, this paper will draw the limitations inherent in the concept and implication of sustainable development and examine what and how to overcome the limitations.
Conclusion & Significance: The conclusion of this paper will focus on what the existing concept and implications of sustainable development should be supplemented. The significance of this paper lies in proposing a new direction of the coexistence between humans and nature for achieving sustainable development.

Author(s): Dai-Yeun Jeong

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