Q. What do you understand by sustainable development? Discuss the elements of sustainable development as proposed in the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals Report-2015.
UPSC Sociology 2025 Paper 1
Model Answer:
Sustainable development represents a transformative paradigm that balances social, economic, and environmental objectives while ensuring intergenerational equity. The Brundtland Commission (1987) defined it as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Moving beyond traditional linear growth models and purely economic indicators like GDP, it integrates three interconnected pillars: economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection.
The UNDP’s 2015 report operationalized this concept through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, built upon 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) organized around five core elements—the “5 Ps.”
Elements of Sustainable Development: The 5 Ps
1. People
– Aims to end poverty and hunger in all forms
– Ensures human potential fulfillment in dignity, equality, and healthy environment
– Encompasses SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health), 4 (Quality Education), and 5 (Gender Equality)
2. Planet
– Protects Earth from degradation through sustainable consumption and production
– Promotes sustainable management of natural resources and urgent climate action
– Addresses SDGs 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land)
3. Prosperity
– Ensures prosperous, fulfilling lives for all people
– Harmonizes economic, social, and technological progress with nature
– Includes SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 9 (Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure)
4. Peace
– Fosters peaceful, just, and inclusive societies free from violence
– Recognizes interdependence between peace and sustainable development
– Embodied in SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions)
5. Partnership
– Mobilizes global solidarity and multi-stakeholder collaboration
– Revitalizes Global Partnership bringing together governments, private sector, and civil society
– Captured in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
Conclusion: The SDG framework’s five elements represent an integrated, indivisible agenda for transforming our world, embodying the principle of “leaving no one behind” while ensuring sustainable development for present and future generations.
