Sustainable National Income - Confusion About The Concept of Sustainability

Confusion About The Concept of Sustainability

The original concept of ´sustainability´ refers to an equilibrium relation between human activities and their physical surroundings and has a long tradition going back to the nineteenth century. The sustainable national income is based on a definition of sustainability in conformity with this. “The World Conservation Strategy” of 1980 subtitled “Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development” introduced the original concept of sustainability in the international discussion. Since the publication of “Our Common Future” in 1987 one has started to include in sustainability besides a sustainable use of the physical surroundings also elements that conflict with this, such as the growth of production as measured in the national income and some social measures. By taking together environmental conservation and herewith conflicting goals in one and the same sustainability indicator the development of the state of the environment is being obscured. Moreover there are examples of measures that worked socially advantageous in the short term but disastrous in the long term because of impairment of vital environmental functions. Arguments in support of this and some historical examples are given in the publications of Hueting and Reijnders (2004) and De Boer and Hueting for the OECD (2004) mentioned below.