In 1987, the Commission of Brundtland focused on the concept of sustained development. This concept continued to serve as the central element of the Summit of Rio which took place in 1992, and gave rise to the view that 'sustainable development is development which makes it possible for the present generation to meet the needs of the present without compromising on the capacity of the future generations to meet their needs.' Sustainable development experts believe that the satisfaction of future needs depends on how we balance the goals today, or social, economic and environmental needs.
The goals behind sustainable development are numerous and growing in a world increasingly industrialized and where economic flows are becoming more intense. Needs can sometimes be contradictory, for example, we all want clean air for our lungs, however, we also need a car to travel in, even if only to commute to work. These requirements are incompatible. Everyone wants to have their needs met, and we must therefore focus on intermediate options. But how do we decide which segments should be favored to achieve sustainable development? Poor or rich? Urban or rural? Environment or enterprise?
One might think that respect for the environment and profits for a company are two incompatible goals. Indeed, short-term industrial growth could oppose the preservation of natural resources. However, on a long term basis, if we use natural resources responsibly now, they will be available for a long time for sustainable industrial growth. Responsible management of natural resources is thus a central element of sustainable development.
Logistics is defined as "all activities aimed at the establishment at the lowest cost, an amount of product, place and time where a demand exists." It involves full control of the flow of goods and information within and outside a company to produce a flexible and cost effective process. It cannot be equated only to the area of transportation that allows the collation and dissemination of products, be it packaged or not.
Through our study, we try to establish the potential role of logistics in the sustainable development.
Firstly, we will present the challenges of sustainable development. We are particularly interested in its importance within international organizations. Subsequently, we present the evidence of the impact of logistics in promoting sustainable development.
According to the Brundtland report, "two concepts are inherent in this concept of needs", particularly the essential needs of the poorest, who should be given the highest priority, and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and our social organization on the environment's ability to respond to present and future needs."
Historically, environmental problems were initially addressed in 1968, during the creation of the Club of Rome, when some politicians, who hold important portfolios in their respective countries, wanted research to take into account the problem of evolution of the world as a whole to try to identify the limits to growth. So the question is raised in a period of economic prosperity in Western Europe (eg, the war boom in France) and we can infer that during an economic boom, countries face environmental problems and somehow end up in a dilemma: does it allow its growth to continue or should it preserve the environment even if it means sacrificing growth?
[...] It is clearly evident that the development model of the North is not sustainable environmentally. It does not permit sustained benefits nor long term growth. Climate change caused by emissions of greenhouse gases and pollution are harmful elements for sustainable development, yet it is the price to pay for growth in the short term. Since there is obviously no question of preventing the people of poor countries to reach the comfort level of developed countries, the idea of sustainable development is to define patterns that balance the economic, social and environmental aspects. [...]
[...] It aims to reduce financial costs caused by too high a level of stock, while improving the productivity of the means of production and distribution. Companies are forced to deal with logistics at the level of operational planning / The role of logistics in sustainable development After defining sustainable development and logistics, we can now provide answers to the question this paper deals with: Does logistics have a role to play in sustainable development? From the evidence we have presented, we can say yes. [...]
[...] 2 / The Johannesburg Summit of the UN in September 2002 It is interesting that the concept of sustainable development was introduced in the 1970s, set in 1987, and concrete steps implemented from the late 1990s or early 2000s. The principles are difficult to implement, as we have said before. Without going into detail, the Plan of Implementation focuses on the following: Fight against poverty Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production Protection and management of natural resources Sustainable development and globalization Health and sustainable development To implement the Plan, it is important to stress the importance of Official Development Assistance the current President of the United States said that if better efficiency was not achieved in its utilization, U.S. [...]
[...] Thus, logistics plays a role in sustainable development which is a fairly complex mechanism put in place as countries, whether developed or developing, are sometimes reluctant to implement policies that would go against their short-term interest, the non-ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the United States is an example. The remarkable economic development of China, based on extensive use of production factors (labor and capital), resulting in a total productivity of factors of low production. Inventory management and labor is very frustrating. [...]
[...] PART ONE: The challenges of sustainable development in international organizations 1 / What is sustainable development? According to the Brundtland Report, "two concepts are inherent here: the concept of ‘needs' and especially the essential needs of the poor, who should be given the highest priority, and the idea of limitations the state of technology and social organization imposes on the ability of the environment to meet present and future demands." Historically, we began to address environmental issues in 1968, during the creation of the Club of Rome, when politicians, occupying important positions in their respective countries, decided that further research was necessary to take into account the issues facing environment as a whole to try to identify limits to growth. [...]
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