Sustainable development core definition – UGC NET Question

The Brundtland Report gave a concise and influential definition of sustainable development that has been widely adopted in global discourse. It emphasises meeting present needs, especially of the poor, while recognising ecological limits and the rights of future generations. This definition integrates economic, social and environmental dimensions into a single guiding principle. Therefore, the statement in option A directly reflects the core idea of sustainable development as intergenerationally just development.

Option A:
Option A correctly balances current human needs with long-term environmental capacity. It accepts that development is necessary but insists that it must respect ecological limits and future rights. This comprehensive view is exactly what makes the Brundtland definition central in debates on people, development and environment.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it explicitly ignores future costs and ecological constraints. Such growth-first thinking can lead to resource depletion, pollution and social exclusion, which contradict sustainable development.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since focusing only on environmental protection without considering human needs would make development socially unacceptable. Sustainable development seeks harmony between environmental conservation and human welfare, not a one-sided approach.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because limiting development to industrial expansion neglects social justice and environmental sustainability. Industrial growth may be part of development but cannot represent sustainable development by itself.