In this post I thought I would consider sustainable development and the operation of a model to describe how its components fit together. As many of you will probably be aware the ‘stock’ definition of sustainable development is as follows ‘Sustainable development is development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. This is a definition that was developed by Gro Harlem Brundtland in 1987 in the publication ‘Our Common Future’, and although 1987 is a fair way back, it still holds true today. Essentially this definition looks at ‘needs’ as consisting of three factors that need to be…
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Tackling Issues of Sustainable Development with ISO 14001
A rather dry necessity routed in process and procedures? Something usually put in place because it is required by supply chain partners and clients? Or to get ahead in a procurement process? Or, is ISO 14001 an important piece of the sustainable development jigsaw – addressing environmental sustainability issues, engaging employees and customers, opening up new opportunities and markets and actually something that can be used to stimulate strategic and cultural change? It depends on how it is used and who is using it. I have always argued the second point – and the updated version of the environmental management standard ISO 14001 makes that argument more compelling. Treat it…
