Managing changes in education for sustainable development

Sustainable development is a difficult concept to define, because it is a continually evolving, which makes it difficult to define. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, pg.43). Sustainable development has three major components: environment, society and economy. The wellbeing of these three areas is intentioned, but not separate e.g. a healthy, prosperous society relies on a healthy environment to provide food, and resources, safe drinking water, and clean air for its citizens. The sustainability paradigm rejects the contention that casualties in the environmental and social realms are inevitable and acceptable consequences of economic development. Thus, this paper considers: economic growth, social equity and environmental protection.