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Teaching and Learning Resource (TLR)
1. Title
The Contested Nature of Sustainable Development Part 1: Analysing Prescriptive Texts
2. Keywords
Sustainable development, interpretation, contestation, analysis.
3. Introduction
Sustainable development is a “metafix” that will unite everybody from the profit-minded industrialist and risk-minimizing subsistence farmer to the equity-seeking social worker, the pollution-concerned or wildlife-loving First Worlder, the growth-maximizing policy maker, the goal-oriented bureaucrat, and therefore, the vote-counting politician.(1)
Sustainable development has emerged in the last decade or so as apparently one of the most important goals of public policy. Most of the world’s governments have now endorsed one or more of the several international agreements on sustainable development produced at, and subsequent to, the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).(2) In so doing they have committed themselves, amongst other things, to producing their own national strategies for sustainable development and promoting the development of similar strategies at the level of local government. This activity in the political sphere has taken place within a context of intense lobbying by a wide range of business and non-governmental organisations. Alongside all of this, and interacting with it, the subject of sustainable development has been investigated by large numbers of academics, approaching the subject from a wide range of disciplinary and intellectual perspectives.
Although there is apparently widespread agreement that sustainable development is ‘a good thing’, there is actually much disagreement as to what it actually means. Contained within this disagreement are disputes concerning, for example, the science of environmental change, the economics of resource management, the environmental impact of different technologies, and the efficacy of different policy instruments. In addition, there are debates of a more fundamental philosophical, ethical and socio-political nature, as indicated by the following quotation:
As a social goal … sustainability is fraught with unresolved questions. Sustainable for how long: a generation, one century, a millennium, ten millennia? Sustainable at what level of human appropriation: individual households, local villages, major cities, entire nations, global economies? Sustainable for whom: all humans alive now, all humans that will ever live, all living beings at this time, all living beings that will ever live? Sustainable under what conditions: for contemporary transnational capitalism, for low-impact Neolithic hunters and gatherers, for some space-faring global empire? Sustainable development for what: personal income, social complexity, gross national product, material frugality, individual consumption, ecological biodiversity?(3)
4. Aim
The aim of this TLR is to introduce students to the contested subject of sustainable development. It seeks to do this by inviting them to think critically about a selection of texts which, between them, advocate a range of interpretations of, or approaches to, sustainable development. The TLR has been written as the first in a series of TLRs concerned with sustainable development (see Section 13 – Links with other TLRs).
5. Learning outcomes
After using this TLR, students should:
6. Pre-requisites
Ideally students should be broadly familiar with the concept of sustainable development, and have at least some knowledge of the historical context in which it has emerged in recent decades. Where this is lacking, students might be given a mini-lecture on the subject, or instructed to undertake some preparatory reading (see Section 12 – Preparation).
It would also be helpful if students had at least an elementary knowledge of environmental ethics and/or values. Where they do not have this knowledge, the following TLRs might be used prior to this one:
In addition, it would be helpful if students were familiar with the idea that the production of knowledge can be view as a process of making ‘knowledge claims’, and had had at least some experience of thinking critically about such processes. Where this is lacking, the following TLRs might be used prior to this one:
7. How to use TLR
This TLR involves the analysis of two or more ‘prescriptive texts’ concerned with sustainable development. (See Section 9 – Stimulus Materials.) Students would get most out of the exercise if they were given the opportunity to analyse at least one of the texts themselves and to discuss at least three – preferably very different – texts (eg one produced by a governmental organisation, one by an environmental pressure group and one by a business organisation). The exercise could be managed in a number of ways – which may, but need not, involve using the generic Guidelines provided in the Appendix. Students could be asked to work independently, in pairs or in small groups. They could be asked to report back on their work orally (eg as individuals giving presentations to peer groups or pairs/groups giving presentations to the whole class), or in writing (eg in the form of individual essays or group reports). In all cases, students should be given an opportunity to compare the texts they have studied, to identify key similarities and differences, and to consider what conclusions can be drawn about the (complex and contested!) concept of sustainable development more generally. They might also be invited to consider why specific organisations advocate one particular version of sustainable development rather than another; and why one version becomes politically dominant whilst others remain marginal.
It goes without saying, of course, that students should be fully briefed with regard to the nature of the activity they are to undertake, the expected learning outcomes, any associated assessment, and so on. Ideally, they should also be given an opportunity to reflect upon the learning activity (what they have actually learnt, the value of what they have learnt, etc) – in addition to discussing the substantive products of their analyses.
8. Instructions to students
As directed by tutor.
9. Stimulus Material
This TLR could be used with almost any text that proposes a particular definition or interpretation of what sustainable development means or should mean; or prescribes or advocates a particular approach to the pursuit of sustainable development. A number of texts, and sources of texts, that might be used are indicated below.(4)
One of the most important of all texts on sustainable development – in terms its influence on policy at international, national and local levels – is the so-called Brundtland Report:
The significance of the Brundtland Report at the international level is reflected in the landmark agreements produced at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, including a set of 27 principles known as The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the monumental Agenda 21. These can be found in a variety of sources including:
At the European level, one of the most important texts is:
Another relatively important text – in terms of its influence on policy in the UK at least – is:
The approach advocated by Pearce and his colleagues is reflected in a series of UK Government publications, most of which would be suitable for use with this TLR. Examples include:
Reports produced by the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development and the British Government Panel on Sustainable Development (both established in 1995, based in London, and due to be replaced by a single, new body provisionally called the Sustainable Development Commission) could also be used.
Many local authorities – in the UK and elsewhere – have now produced some kind of ‘Local Agenda 21’ strategy document. These could be used with this TLR, as could guidance documents produced by bodies such as the Local Government Management Board (formerly based in Luton, now in London). See, for example:
Non-governmental organisations such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace produce an abundance of campaign literature relating to sustainable development, some of which would be suitable for use with this TLR. Similarly, businesses and business organisations produce documents that could also be used. Good examples of the latter include:
10. Degree stage
It is anticipated that this TLR would be most appropriate for use with students at level 2 or above. However, it could be used at level 1 provided that the students satisfied the pre-requisites (see Section 6), and that the activity was presented in an appropriate manner.
11. Resource requirements
The TLR has no special resource requirements.
12. Preparation
Where students have little or no prior knowledge of sustainable development (see Section 6 – Pre-requisites), they might be given a mini-lecture on the subject, or instructed to undertake some preparatory reading. There are a great many sources which could be used as a basis for this; including, for example:
13. Links with other TLRs
This TLR has been designed as part of the following series:
The first of these TLRs is intended to serve as a ‘primer’ on sustainable development, which may or may not be followed by one or more of the others – used in whatever order seems most appropriate in any particular learning and teaching situation.
14. Follow-up activities
See Section 13 – Links with other TLRs.
15. Recommended reading
In addition to the literature indicated in Section 9, there is a huge and rapidly expanding academic literature on sustainable development – produced by scholars across a wide range of disciplines. It is not possible to list the innumerable books and articles that they have published, or the many internet sites on which some of this material is now available. However, it is possible to identify at least some of the journals in which articles on sustainable development frequently appear:
Notes:
(1) S. Lele (1991) Sustainable Development: A Critical Review. World Development, 19(6), p613. Cited in A. Dobson (1996) Environment Sustainabilities: An Analysis and a Typology. Environmental Politics, 5(3), p401.
(2) For example, Agenda 21 and the conventions on climate change and biodiversity.
(3) Timothy Luke (1995) Sustainable Development as a Power/Knowledge System: The Problem of “Governmentality”, pp21-2. In Frank Fischer and Michael Black, eds, Greening Environmental Policy: The Politics of a Sustainable Future. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
(4) It would be appropriate to use texts published electronically (eg on the internet) – as well as those published in print.
(5) This report was produced for the then UK Department of the Environment.
(6) This report was produced in response to an invitation to present the ‘business case’ for sustainable development at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
Introduction
Sustainable development is a “metafix” that will unite everybody from the profit-minded industrialist and risk-minimizing subsistence farmer to the equity-seeking social worker, the pollution-concerned or wildlife-loving First Worlder, the growth-maximizing policy maker, the goal-oriented bureaucrat, and therefore, the vote-counting politician.(1)
Sustainable development has emerged in the last decade or so as apparently one of the most important goals of public policy. Most of the world’s governments have now endorsed one or more of the several international agreements on sustainable development produced at, and subsequent to, the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).(2) In so doing they have committed themselves, amongst other things, to producing their own national strategies for sustainable development and promoting the development of similar strategies at the level of local government. This activity in the political sphere has taken place within a context of intense lobbying by a wide range of business and non-governmental organisations. Alongside all of this, and interacting with it, the subject of sustainable development has been investigated by large numbers of academics, approaching the subject from a wide range of disciplinary and intellectual perspectives.
Although there is apparently widespread agreement that sustainable development is ‘a good thing’, there is actually much disagreement as to what it actually means. Contained within this disagreement are disputes concerning, for example, the science of environmental change, the economics of resource management, the environmental impact of different technologies, and the efficacy of different policy instruments. In addition, there are debates of a more fundamental philosophical, ethical and socio-political nature, as indicated by the following quotation:
As a social goal … sustainability is fraught with unresolved questions. Sustainable for how long: a generation, one century, a millennium, ten millennia? Sustainable at what level of human appropriation: individual households, local villages, major cities, entire nations, global economies? Sustainable for whom: all humans alive now, all humans that will ever live, all living beings at this time, all living beings that will ever live? Sustainable under what conditions: for contemporary transnational capitalism, for low-impact Neolithic hunters and gatherers, for some space-faring global empire? Sustainable development for what: personal income, social complexity, gross national product, material frugality, individual consumption, ecological biodiversity?(3)
Exercise
Summarise the key points of the text you have been given. You might find it helpful to comment on some or all of the following:
Notes:
(1) S. Lele (1991) Sustainable Development: A Critical Review. World Development, 19(6), p613. Cited in A. Dobson (1996) Environment Sustainabilities: An Analysis and a Typology. Environmental Politics, 5(3), p401.
(2) For example, Agenda 21 and the conventions on climate change and biodiversity.
(3) Timothy Luke (1995) Sustainable Development as a Power/Knowledge System: The Problem of “Governmentality”, pp. 21-2. In Frank Fischer and Michael Black, eds, Greening Environmental Policy: The Politics of a Sustainable Future (London: Paul Chapman Publishing).