What is Sustainable Development?

The guiding principle of Sustainable Development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable Development recognizes the interdependence of environmental, social and economic systems and promotes equality and justice through people empowerment and a sense of global citizenship. Whilst we cannot be sure what the future may bring, a preferable future is a more sustainable one”. Brundtland report 1987

Sustainable Development is also explained by a concept – Triple Bottom Line - created by John Elkington in the book Cannibal with Forks: “In its broadest sense, the triple bottom line captures the spectrum of values that organizations must embrace - economic, environmental and social. In practical terms, triple bottom line accounting means expanding the traditional company reporting framework to take into account not just financial outcomes but also environmental and social performance – economic prosperity, social equity and environmental protection”.

An easy way to understand and remember the basic message of Sustainable Development is the 3Ps acronym: Profit, People, Planet

Background

The sustainability idea originated from a series of meetings and reports in the 1970s and 1980s. The first international meeting that tackled the impact of human activities on the environment and eventually their impact on the human race was the 1972 UN Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

In 1980 the World Conservation Strategy, prepared by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature together with the UN Environment Program and the World Wildlife Fund, established the fact that the human race had to care about the environment for its own sake.

In 1987, the UN-sponsored Brundtland Commission released Our Common Future, a report that captured widespread concerns about the environment and poverty in many parts of the world. The Brundtland report
said that “economic development cannot stop, but it must change course to fit within the planet's ecological limits”. It also popularized the term Sustainable development (SD).

Sustainability became a strong concept at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development that took place in Rio de Janeiro. Heads of State/Government (108) or senior officials of 172 countries were present at what became known as the Earth Summit. It was the largest-ever meeting of world leaders. This conference became a reference as it delivered concrete results in terms of awareness and good will. Two international agreements, two statements of principles, and a strong action agenda on Sustainable Development were published: the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Statement of Forest Principles and the Agenda 21.

This sudden interest was unfortunately fuelled by some recent major environmental disasters: leak of poisonous gas from a chemical plant at Bhopal, India; the Chernobyl catastrophe, the hole in the Antarctic ozone layer and general fears over the deforestation, the un-sustainability of certain species, etc.

The Brundtland report had captured many of those concerns when it said: "Major, unintended changes are occurring in the atmosphere, in soils, in waters, among plants and animals. Nature is bountiful but it is also fragile and finely balanced. There are thresholds that cannot be crossed without endangering the basic
integrity of the system. Today we are close to many of those thresholds."

Economic Prosperity

We will deliver superior value to our stakeholders and our guests through the responsible application of natural, technical and human resources, and the pursuit of excellence in all we do.

" It is necessary to show shareholders and Board members that the strategy which is being rolled out is focused on improving the bottom line. Therefore all calculations demonstrating the savings on a long term basis are important. They will be centered on energy savings, waste reduction and cost reduction by implementing water and other commodity controls, the reduction of potential liabilities and risks and employee retention. On the revenue side one must show the increase of business from clients who are particularly keen on using SD friendly companies." **

Social Responsibility

We will make the Willard an inspiring place for both our guests and our staff, and will take a leadership role in improving our local and global community.

" Social responsibility, meaning that a company guarantees that it will be a fair employer and treat its employees with respect, encourages employees to join and stay with a company. They will feel proud of being associated with a leader in the industry, and with a company at the forefront of corporate citizenship. Most of the time employees will be involved in the efforts of a company and it is quite common to see them not only supporting the effort, but enticing the company to go further in its endeavors."

Environmental Responsibility

We will continually reduce the impact we have on our local and global environment through minimizing waste, maximizing efficiency, and purchasing goods, which do not endanger the world's natural resources.

" Caring about the environment is nowadays the responsibility of all governments and all peoples. It is as well the duty of all businesses and executives. Environmentally related ideas should be weighed and considered at company level, but in effect be implemented at the unit level. As well corporate offices should be in full support of the effort. Hotels should all be encouraged to apply to ISO 14001 certification – an environment certification."