TRANSFORMING BASE SUBSTANCES INTO GOLD
Principles of Sustainable Development
by Rami Elias Kremesti M.Sc., CSci, CEnv, CWEM
The linear model of the economy based on exploit, produce, consume and dump needs to come to an end. Earth’s sustainable resources are consumed every year somewhere between July and August according to Earth Shoot day. Just like in the water sector, we need to recycle everything and recover energy/nutrients/materials where ever feasible…
Many governments and individuals have pondered what sustainable development means beyond a simple one-sentence definition. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development fleshes out the definition by listing 18 principles of sustainability:
1. People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. There is no trash in the forest or in the sea if you look carefully. Everything is recycled…
2. Development today must not undermine the development and environment needs of present and future generations. Air, Sea, Soil they are all polluted in the mega-cities of today. This needs to end. Economic development must become circular.
3. Nations have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources, but without causing environmental damage beyond their borders. In China and India, they are still burning too much coal and polluting the air. Western companies sometimes outsource their dirty production to the East or South.
4. Nations shall develop international laws to provide compensation for damage that activities under their control cause to areas beyond their borders. This is the principle of polluter pays.
5. Nations shall use the precautionary approach to protect the environment. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, scientific uncertainty shall not be used to postpone cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. All the doubters of climate change and global warming need to be silenced. On the other hand, over regulation must not stifle development which sometimes happens in the UK where I live.
6. In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process, and cannot be considered in isolation from it. You want to build a house, a factory, a clothing store, grow/make food, etc. you must do this sustainably from the ground up starting with the design sheet. There is too much single-use plastic in the supermarkets of today.
7. Eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in living standards in different parts of the world are essential to achieve sustainable development and meet the needs of the majority of people. Poverty leads to ignorance leads to pollution and over population. I grew up in Lebanon where they still dump untreated sewage in the Mediterranean… I once worked on a project in Iraq that decided to dump toxic chemical waste in a local creek…
8. Nations shall cooperate to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem. The developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command. There is a tendency of out of sight out of mind in the West where they export their pollution to third world or developing countries, that needs to end.
9. Nations should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and promote appropriate demographic policies. For example, greedy car manufacturers want to sell you a new car every year. Why? Make a new model every 5 years.
10. Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens. Nations shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making environmental information widely available. For example, people are going crazy on social media these days, and AI corporations want to shove AI down our throats without giving second thought to the environmental cost…
11. Nations shall enact effective environmental laws, and develop national law regarding liability for the victims of pollution and other environmental damage. Where they have authority, nations shall assess the environmental impact of proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact. In the West we live larger than our means. In Africa, they want to live like us. It should be the other way around… We need to learn from Africa how to live simply, within our means…
12. Nations should cooperate to promote an open international economic system that will lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all countries. Environmental policies should not be used as an unjustifiable means of restricting international trade. At the root of the problem, is exploitative policies. We need to address the root… I also find it strange that the USA is implementing tariffs when it suits them and talk about globalisation when they want to export…
13. The polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution.
14. Nations shall warn one another of natural disasters or activities that may have harmful trans-boundary impacts. CO2 emissions is one of the biggest problems and there is still no CCUS project implementation on a large scale it is shameful… CIWEM the chartered institute that I am a member of is highly knowledgeable when it comes to modelling catchment systems and predicting floods. I hope one day we can help predict the next flood in some developing country and help save lives.
15. Sustainable development requires better scientific understanding of the problems. Nations should share knowledge and innovative technologies to achieve the goal of sustainability. I think we have too much knowledge in the West and not enough implementation of solutions to the problems of environmental pollution. Profit remains more important than people, plant and purpose…
16. The full participation of women is essential to achieve sustainable development. The creativity, ideals and courage of youth and the knowledge of indigenous people are needed too. Nations should recognize and support the identity, culture and interests of indigenous people. I agree with this a 100%. Also women should not be used/viewed as consumer base but as a role model for a gentle approach to a new economic model. Gentle to people and planet.
17. Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development, and Nations shall respect international laws protecting the environment in times of armed conflict, and shall cooperate in their further establishment. Oh I could go on about this for pages… War is the scourge of mankind in the 21st century. Budgets spent on war need to be redirected toward education, eradication of poverty and disease, building peace, cultural exchange, and protecting the environment.
18. Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.
These points have been adapted from:
“Introduction” in McKeown, Rosalyn. Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit, Version 2, Center for Geography and Environmental Education, University of Tennessee, July 2002.
Additionally, we need to encourage sustainable consumption. The people have the power to impose their will on corporations to become more sustainable and this requires grassroots activism.
What Are Practical Things We Can Do to Be More Sustainable?
At home, collect your grey water and use it to flush the toilet.
Don’t buy a new car every year for God’s sake… Rampant consumerism is one of the evils of modern society.
If you are an architect, design buildings and homes that separate urine from grey water from black water and design systems to harvest rain water for toilet flushing.
Do not buy cheap fashion. Buy quality, locally made produce and clothes. Decentralize. Support the local economy.
Educate your kids, and kids educate your parents to be Eco-Aware.
Plant TREES everywhere….
Use an washable handkerchief instead of disposable tissues…
Try to grow your own food. Organic Regenerative Farming is beautiful, good for nature and good for the soul.
Support peace and slashing war budgets in favour of environmental, cultural and peace projects.
If you are a capitalist obsessed with money, stop, be still and smell the roses. What profit three to lose thy soul in the process of hoarding wealth? It’s not worth it….
Below are the UN Sustainable Development Goals SDG’s:
Reference:
Kremesti Environmental Consulting adheres in its commercial activities to the principles of sustainable development laid out in the above charter.
Rami E. Kremesti M.Sc., CSci, CEnv, CWEM
Managing Director
Last updated December 16, 2025
Buckinghamshire, U.K.
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