Understanding Sustainable Development

By Author: Mohan Kumar
Total Articles: 4
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There are several definitions of sustainable development and they all vary widely, the 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (i.e., Brundtland report) suggested that it is progress that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Sustainable development is not a new concept; it has grown in prominence especially in the last few decades with the scarcity of natural resources, change in weather conditions and extreme climate events. I think we all can envision what sustainable development might mean based on the meaning of the words and a little common sense. Probably the first thought that comes to mind is the continued prosperity of something, such as a business. That is the essence of sustainable development.

The most easily recognized results of this concern about sustainable development are the present efforts at pollution prevention, reducing greenhouse gases and resource conservation through recycling; however, these concerns are only the tip of the iceberg. Sustainable development is now commonly defined to encompass ...
... continued economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity. This growing effort will have a major impact on not only our lives but also on our professional activities as we quickly approach the 21st century.

Under the ‘Make in India” campaign of the new Indian government, the manufacturing sector is set to grow at a pace like no other sector. To ensure success of these development campaigns and long term sustainability it is important to work towards skilling the workforce. It is equally important that the workforce is equipped with the right skills to become champions of growth that is responsible towards the environment and the people.

The Environmental Health and Safety Center is here to provide skill building training programs to make available a skilled workforce of managers to take the Indian industries to newer heights. Located on the Symbiosis Institute of International Business campus, EHS focuses on providing education on environment, healthy and safety best practices. The courses are carefully designed to provide information and tools. The approach is to provide training and mentoring support to a participant to reach a level of expertise that enables the participant to implement these best practices in the industry.

Sustainable Development & EHS

From the health and safety perspective, the most direct connection with sustainable development is product design and stewardship. Many companies have involved safety and health professionals in the design and development of products and their subsequent proper and safe use, creating marketplace advantage and customer value. It is likely this trend will not only continue, but be enhanced.

Other connections will span the areas of eco-efficiency (now considered to include life-cycle inventory, total cost assessment and metrics) and social accountability. More attention will be paid to the supply chain in a "think globally, act locally" manner. This might include evaluating suppliers for their contributions to sustainable development. Some companies have decided to embrace sustainable development.
Sustainable development is a movement that is sure to affect us all. It is important now to recognize the importance of this trend and to develop meaningful ways to contribute.

How can you contribute towards sustainable development?

A lot of people ignore the idea of sustainable development saying that one person’s effort can barely make a difference. However, this is where most people make a mistake. Even a single person can help in spreading the message and increasing the awareness. Associating yourself to the cause is in itself a big contribution to the cause. EHS is part of a large network that actually helps in promoting this cause across the globe. It is headquartered in the state of Vermont, U.S.A., and has presence in China, Bangladesh, and India. The India center is headed by Mr. Suresh Kotla.

Today, EHS India proudly boasts of a list of students comprising of employees from some of the leading companies in the region.

The institute covers a whole lot of detail pertaining to environmental, health and safety. As for the manufacturers, an investment in educating its workforce on EHS will add more value to the overall business format. An increasing number of companies are realising this fact and reworking their organizational set-ups to adjust in accordance to this changing trend.

For information on courses conducted, admission procedure and other initiatives undertaken by EHS, please take a look at http://ehs.siib.ac.in/ or else get in touch with the team of experts who will be happy to guide you.