These are complex, interlinked issues. “Sustainable development” has been proposed as a holistic approach for dealing with these complexities. Sustainable development integrates economic, envi- ronmental and social considerations in order to improve the lives of the current generation and ensure that future generations will have adequate resources and opportunities. Over recent decades, public awareness and concern has grown, as has knowledge of the effects of our activities on the environment. The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil resulted in Agenda 21, an action plan for the imple- mentation of sustainable development throughout all levels of society. Agenda 21 identified the global eco- nomic, environmental, and social issues.
