Sustainable development has many definitions, but only one definite meaning. It is the development that satisfies the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future generations. Due to the rise of increasing carbon foot print in the developing countries and over-exploitation of natural resources, holistic development has become a hot topic of discussion for all countries. Countries like Dubai, China, India, and Bangladesh are specifically under radar as they are fast booming economies that are off lately contributing maximum to the overall pollution levels globally.
Addressing and facing the challenges posed by the climate change requires the ability to assess and understand the climate and implement effective policies and most importantly move towards low-carbon, climate friendly and other sustainable methods of growth and development.
Individuals, businesses and governments make millions of choices every day, which impact our society. To give effect to sustainable development, individuals need to adopt sustainable lifestyles. Companies across the world, like Data Direct in UAE, have adopted methods of green cooling that help protect the environment. This includes electronic document storage, waste management, service management alternatives, RBA, etc. It has become crucial for organizations to understand how these aspects of sustainable development are dependent upon education. For example, in developing countries, one additional year of education adds about 10% to a person's earnings. In fact, it is the cognitive skills of a population, and not the education alone, that is correlated to individual earning and economic growth. Education is also essential for environmental protection.
In the past few decades, multinational organizations have happily included environment and climate change education and also promoted new attitudes and skills for environmental protection. It induces people to change their consumption and production patterns. In 2009, UNEP and UNESCO initiated the first Global Survey on Sustainable Lifestyles (GSSL). The objective was to listen to young adults, surveying over 8,000 people from 20 different nationalities to have a better understanding of their everyday routines, lifestyles, and expectations for the future with regard to sustainability. Surprisingly, a majority of the individuals demonstrated a lack of understanding about the way that individual actions and benefits are connected with community actions and benefits. A large number of them claimed to be well-educated about the global issues such as climate change, but demonstrated a lack of understanding about the global issues at the local level. Multinational organizations across the world have therefore adopted methods that will ensure sustainable development and help protect the environment.
