14. Sustainable development and the environment

14.1 General principles of sustainable development

The precursor principles of sustainable development were formulated by the Brundtland Commission. As early as 1987, this international commission urged present generations to "satisfy their own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs". The three pillars of sustainable development (figure 21 ) are as follows:

• environmental ;

• economic and industrial ;

• social/societal.