Embedding Sustainable Development in Organizations Through an Integrated Management Systems Approach

Abstract

The concept of sustainable development (SD) was popularized by the publication of the World Commission on Environment and Development?s (WCED) report Our Common Future in 1987 (WCED, 1987). There has been considerable debate regarding the meaning of SD since the publication of Our Common Future. However, the definition provided in that report remains the most widely-cited definition: ?development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs? (WCED, 1987). Building on that definition, there have been many efforts to elucidate the key components of SD. The WCED suggested that SD involved the simultaneous pursuit of economic, environmental, and social goals. These three areas are commonly referred to as the ?three pillars? of sustainable development. Gladwin et al. (1995) proposed five principal components of SD: inclusiveness, connectivity, equity, prudence, and security. Additional conceptions on the key principles of SD are widely available in the literature (see, for example, Dresner, 2002).