The challenge of sustainable development

Concerned about climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, economic precariousness and inequality, consumers are looking for products and services that have a reduced footprint on the environment and really contribute to improving their quality of life. Faced with these expectations, governments and companies must adopt standards that meet the objectives of sustainable development. What are these goals and how do you meet them?

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals that set the course for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. These goals respond to the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace and justice. The goals are interconnected and, in order to leave no one behind, it is important to achieve each of them, and each of their targets, by 2030.

To achieve this program, many governments and companies have adopted strategies and action plans, set up consumption and production standards which aim in particular to reduce their ecological footprint and contribute to the well-being of the population in a sustainable development perspective.

Aiming for sustainable development means simultaneously taking into account the environmental, social, cultural and economic dimensions of a development project or policy. A healthy environment is considered a mandatory condition, improving the quality of life of populations as an ultimate goal and the economy as a means to achieve it.

To promote dialogue between all these dimensions, bring together divergent points of view and consolidate common expectations, leaders must put in place management methods and governance that encourage dialogue, conciliation and consultation. To avoid authoritarian or downright fraudulent abuses, the process must be based on irreproachable ethics, democratic principles and respect for fundamental human rights.

A tool, the Sustainable Development Analysis Grid, developed by the Eco-advisory Chair of the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, makes it possible to assess the strengths and weaknesses in terms of sustainability of any initiative planned or already implemented by a company or a government. Recommended by the United Nations Division of Economic and Social Affairs, this freely available analytical tool has been used around the world. 

In Quebec, for example, the City of Quebec recently used it to develop its development strategy and the Coopérative Forestière Boisaco used it to consolidate its sustainable development approach. See by yourself:  

i  Guides et outils d’analyse de développement durable | Chaire en éco-conseil (uqac.ca)

ii Développement durable (quebec.qc.ca)

iii Rapport Développement durable - Boisaco