Table 1. Major Issues in Interpreting Sustainable Development
l The rofe of economic growth in promoting human well-being
l The impact and importance of human population growth
l The effective existence of environmental limits to growth
l The substitutability of natural resources (capital) with human-made capital
created through economic growth and technical innovation
l The differential interpretation of the criticality of various components of the
natural resource base and, therefore, the potential for substitution
l The ability of technologies (including management methods such as environmental
impact assessment and environmental auditing) to decouple economic growth and
unwanted environmental side-effects
l The meaning of the value attributed to the natural world and the rights of nonhuman
species, sentient or otherwise
l The degree to which a systems (ecosystems) perspective should be adopted and
the importance of maintaining the functional integrity of ecosystems