Description

The introduction explains what sustainable development means and why it is necessary. Sachs presents sustainable development as a way of improving human well-being while protecting the environment and ensuring that development can continue for future generations.

The introduction has five main parts: What is sustainable development?; An introduction to economic growth; Continuing poverty in the midst of plenty; Global environmental threats caused by economic development; and Pathways to sustainable development.

1. What is sustainable development?
Sachs argues that development should not be judged simply by how much a country’s economy grows. True development should improve people’s well-being, including income, health, education, security, and opportunities, while also protecting nature.

2. Economic growth
Economic growth has dramatically increased living standards in many parts of the world. Technology, industry, agriculture, and improvements in productivity have allowed societies to produce far more goods and services. However, the benefits of growth have not been shared equally.

3. Poverty despite global prosperity
A major contradiction is that the world has enormous wealth while hundreds of millions of people continue to live in extreme poverty. Sustainable development therefore requires both economic progress and efforts to ensure that disadvantaged populations can participate in that progress.