ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Sustainable business practices
Which of the following is the most widely cited definition of sustainable development, as set out in the Brundtland Report?
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This is the Brundtland definition. It balances present and future needs rather than focusing only on profit or on stopping growth.
- ADevelopment that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needsCorrect
- BDevelopment that maximises shareholder wealth while complying with environmental laws
- CDevelopment that limits economic growth in order to preserve natural resources indefinitely
Explanation
The Brundtland Report (1987) defined sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs. The second option is a narrow shareholder view, and the third wrongly assumes growth must be halted.
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