The Future We Want—Outcome document of Rio+20; United Nations Millennium Declaration; Johannesburg Selleckchem INK1197 Declaration; Rio Declaration). Accordingly, this definition has also been the one most

quoted in the scientific literature (Kates et al. 2005). Its inherent basic normative principles can be summarized as the three core objectives of (1) environmental integrity;   (2) intra-generational equity; and   (3) intergenerational equity (Wuelser et al. 2012).   Each of these entails a number of crucial elements, such as the world’s poor being able to meet their essential needs, or the effects of our activities being absorbable by the biosphere (Table 1). Most importantly, the core objectives are strongly interrelated and thus should not be treated in isolation from each other (WCED 1987, 4). Poverty alleviation programs are generally not independent of ecosystem health. In fact, concrete projects, policies, activities or any sort of sustainability-oriented undertakings may need to focus on single core objectives or aspects

thereof, e.g., gender inequality, income maintenance or river pollution. Nevertheless, they should do so against the background of a critical assessment of the potential implications on other core objectives in order to avoid find more negative side effects. Further, trade-offs among the core objectives may be necessary in many cases. According to the Brundtland definition, these are tolerable as long as they do not compromise the ability of others to meet their needs or pass respective environmental limitations (WCED 1987, 43). Indeed, decisions on both foci and acceptable

trade-offs always need to be made in reference to case-specific particularities. Survivin inhibitor Table 1 Core objectives of sustainable development as deduced from the Brundtland definition (WCED 1987) and their elements, further developed from Wuelser et al. (2012) Core objective Elements Sources A. Environmental integrity 1. To sustain the natural resource base WCED 1987, pp 44/45, 57–60 2. To shape policies and practices in ways that allow the biosphere to absorb their effects WCED 1987, p 8, (58) 3. To keep a balance between use and transformation of environmental systems and their protection and restoration WCED 1987, pp. 45, 133 B. Intra-generational equity 1. To ensure that all members of the present generation are able to meet their needs, especially that the world’s poor Farnesyltransferase can meet their basic or essential needs WCED 1987, pp. 44, 47 and 54 2. To ensure that all members of the present generation, especially the world’s poor, can access the constrained natural resource base WCED 1987, pp. 40, 43 3. To support distributing costs and benefits of development fairly within the present generation WCED 1987, pp. 43, 52 4. To that end, to allow distributing economic and political power fairly so that participation in decision-making and democratic processes is not hindered Boyce 1994; WCED 1987, pp. 38, 46-49, 63, 65 C. Inter-generational equity 1.