Summary of the Scientific, Ethical, and Public Policy Recommendations for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Developing public policy programs to foster sustainable development recommendations in Agenda 21 will require the application of disciplinary expertise from the areas of science, economics, law, and ethics. This means that concerned citizens and policymakers must examine and understand the capabilities of these disciplines as tools to assist in the implementation of the recommendations. In an attempt to promote this understanding, Chapters 2 through 5 of this book examine the general roles of science, ethics, economics, and law in sustainable development decisionmaking by identifying and assessing the capabilities, limitations, strengths, and weaknesses of each discipline’s potential contribution to implementation of sustainable development recommendations. Chapters 6 through 10 explore the use and capabilities of the disciplines as applied to specific global sustainable development problems.