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Online a : h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com ISSN No: 2584-282X
Indexed Jou nal, Impac Fac o : 6.1 Pee Re iewed Jou nal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRENDS IN EMERGING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 3; Issue 5; 2025; Page No. 83-85
Special Issue o In e na ional Semina (23 d - 24 h Augus , 2025)
On he Topic
Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS): Challenges & i s Applica ion in Highe Educa ion o
Sus ainable De elopmen
By
Facul y o Educa ion, IASE (DU), Sa da shaha , Chu u, Rajas han - 331403
En i onmen and Sus ainable De elopmen in he 21s Cen u y:
Challenges and Policy In e en ions
D . Abhimanyu Singh Chauhan
Depa men o Geog aphy, IASE Deemed o be Uni e si y, Sa da shaha , Rajas han, India
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17663396
Co esponding Au ho : D . Abhimanyu Singh Chauhan
Abs ac
The 21s cen u y ma ks a c ucial u ning poin in humani y’s ela ionship wi h he en i onmen . Clima e change, biodi e si y loss, pollu ion,
and esou ce deple ion pose exis en ial h ea s o he plane ’s s abili y. Sus ainable de elopmen , as en isioned by he Uni ed Na ions,
p o ides a amewo k o balancing en i onmen al p o ec ion, economic g ow h, and social inclusion. This esea ch pape explo es he
challenges aced in implemen ing sus ainable de elopmen goals (SDGs) globally, analyzes policy in e en ions a na ional and in e na ional
le els, and highligh s success ul case s udies. The pape concludes ha sus ainable p og ess equi es in eg a ed go e nance, g een
echnologies, and global coope a ion oo ed in en i onmen al e hics.
Keywo ds: En i onmen , Sus ainable De elopmen , Policy In e en ions, SDGs, economic
In oduc ion
The concep o sus ainable de elopmen eme ged as a
guiding p inciple o econciling human ad ancemen wi h
ecological p ese a ion. De ined by he B und land
Commission (1987) [1] as “de elopmen ha mee s he needs
o he p esen wi hou comp omising he abili y o u u e
gene a ions o mee hei own needs,” i has e ol ed in o a
global mission suppo ed by he 2030 Agenda o
Sus ainable De elopmen .
In he 21s cen u y, humani y aces mul i ace ed challenges
- om escala ing g eenhouse gas emissions o de o es a ion,
wa e sca ci y, and u ban pollu ion. The deg ada ion o
na u al esou ces h ea ens bo h human secu i y and
plane a y heal h. Thus, sus ainable de elopmen is no a
choice bu an impe a i e o su i al.
The need o a balanced app oach-linking en i onmen al,
economic, and social dimensions-is mo e u gen han e e .
The ocus o his pape is o assess hese challenges and he
policy in e en ions ha seek o add ess hem h ough
global and local go e nance amewo ks.
Resea ch Objec i es
This s udy aims o achie e he ollowing objec i es
1. To examine he majo en i onmen al challenges o he
21s cen u y.
2. To e alua e he ole o sus ainable de elopmen in
add essing global ecological conce ns.
3. To analyze he e ec i eness o in e na ional and
na ional policy in e en ions.
4. To explo e case s udies ha demons a e success ul
sus ainable de elopmen p ac ices.
5. To p opose s a egic ecommenda ions o enhancing
sus ainabili y h ough go e nance and inno a ion.
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Li e a u e Re iew
Nume ous schola s ha e discussed he in e play be ween
en i onmen and sus ainable de elopmen . Sachs (2015) [2]
emphasized he ole o SDGs in shaping a holis ic global
de elopmen model. S e n (2007) [3] ocused on he
economic dimensions o clima e change, a guing ha
inac ion would cos mo e han sus ainable e o ms.
Rocks öm e al. (2009) [4] p oposed he concep o
“Plane a y Bounda ies,” highligh ing nine c i ical h esholds
ha should no be c ossed o ensu e plane a y s abili y.
Rawo h (2017) [5] in oduced he “Doughnu Economics”
model o balance human p ospe i y wi hin ecological limi s.
The UNDP (2020) [6] and Wo ld Bank Repo s (2021) [10]
unde sco e ha p og ess owa ds sus ainabili y emains
une en, pa icula ly in de eloping na ions. Lack o inance,
weak ins i u ions, and policy inconsis ency emain
signi ican ba ie s.
The e o e, his pape syn hesizes hese academic insigh s o
unde s and how en i onmen al and de elopmen al goals can
align in he mode n e a.
Challenges o Sus ainable De elopmen in he 21s
Cen u y
1. Clima e Change: The inc ease in global empe a u e
has caused se e e d ough s, loods, and ex eme
wea he pa e ns. The IPCC (2023) [7] wa ns ha global
wa ming abo e 1.5 °C could lead o i e e sible
damage.
2. De o es a ion and Biodi e si y Loss: The apid loss
o o es co e in egions like he Amazon and
Sou heas Asia h ea ens ecological balance and
indigenous communi ies.
3. Pollu ion and Was e Managemen : U baniza ion and
indus ial g ow h con ibu e o ai , wa e , and soil
pollu ion. E-was e and plas ic was e ha e become majo
global haza ds.
4. Resou ce Deple ion: O e -ex ac ion o g oundwa e ,
ossil uels, and mine als jeopa dizes long- e m
sus ainabili y.
5. Inequali y and Po e y: En i onmen al deg ada ion
disp opo iona ely a ec s poo e popula ions, widening
he socio-economic gap.
Case S udies
1. India’s Na ional Sola Mission: Launched in 2010
unde he Na ional Ac ion Plan on Clima e Change
(NAPCC), India’s sola mission aims o achie e o e
280 GW o sola capaci y by 2030. I exempli ies how
enewable ene gy can d i e economic g ow h while
educing ca bon emissions.
2. Cos a Rica’s Fo es Regene a ion P og am: Cos a
Rica e e sed de o es a ion ends h ough paymen -
o -ecosys em se ices (PES) and eco- ou ism. By
2020, i gene a ed o e 98% o elec ici y om
enewable sou ces.
3. The Eu opean G een Deal: The Eu opean Union’s
G een Deal (2019) [8] aims o clima e neu ali y by
2050. I in eg a es ene gy, indus y, and biodi e si y
policies, se ing as a global model o sus ainable
go e nance.
4. China’s Bel and Road Ini ia i e (G een Ve sion):
China has begun in eg a ing sus ainabili y me ics in o
i s BRI p ojec s by p omo ing g een inance, enewable
in as uc u e, and ecological es o a ion.
Role o he Ti le: "En i onmen and Sus ainable
De elopmen in he 21s Cen u y"
The i le embodies he dual ocus o he s udy -
unde s anding en i onmen al deg ada ion and p omo ing
sus ainable pa hways. I e lec s he u gency o econciling
economic ambi ion wi h ecological in eg i y in he 21s
cen u y.
The “21s cen u y” indica es a empo al con ex whe e
echnological ad ancemen s and policy inno a ions coexis
wi h en i onmen al c ises, making he heme ele an and
ac ion-o ien ed.
Policy In e en ions and Global F amewo ks
1. Pa is Clima e Ag eemen (2015): A landma k global
acco d o limi global empe a u e ise o below 2 °C
and s i e o 1.5 °C.
2. UN Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs):
Adop ed in 2015, he 17 SDGs p o ide a bluep in o
balancing g ow h, equali y, and en i onmen al
p o ec ion.
3. Na ional En i onmen al Policies: Many na ions,
including India, ha e es ablished amewo ks like he
Na ional G een T ibunal (NGT) and En i onmen al
Impac Assessmen (EIA) o moni o ecological heal h.
Co po a e Social Responsibili y (CSR)
Companies a e inc easingly manda ed o in es in
sus ainabili y- educing emissions, adop ing g een supply
chains, and os e ing social equi y.
Discussion: In eg a ing En i onmen and De elopmen
T ue sus ainabili y equi es in eg a ing ecological
conside a ions in o e e y sec o -ag icul u e, indus y,
anspo , and educa ion.
Technological inno a ions like g een hyd ogen, elec ic
ehicles, p ecision a ming, and ca bon cap u e ep esen
p omising solu ions.
Howe e , wi hou poli ical will and ci izen pa icipa ion,
sus ainable de elopmen emains a dis an goal.
Educa ion and awa eness a e c i ical. En i onmen al e hics
mus be ins illed h ough cu iculum e o m, while
indigenous knowledge should in o m mode n policy design.
Conclusion
The 21s cen u y s ands a a c oss oads. Humani y’s
p og ess has come a a hea y en i onmen al p ice.
Sus ainable de elopmen p o ides he only iable pa hway
o ensu ing bo h human p ospe i y and ecological balance.
This esea ch unde sco es ha he pa h o wa d demands
global coope a ion, scien i ic inno a ion, e hical
go e nance, and ci izen engagemen .
The en i onmen canno be seen in isola ion-i is he
ounda ion o all de elopmen . A sus ainable 21s cen u y is
possible only i policy and p ac ice align owa d p o ec ing
ou sha ed plane .
Re e ences
1. B und land Commission. Ou common u u e. Ox o d:
In e na ional Jou nal o T ends in Eme ging Resea ch and De elopmen h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com
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h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com
Ox o d Uni e si y P ess; c1987.
2. Sachs JD. The age o sus ainable de elopmen . New
Yo k: Columbia Uni e si y P ess; c2015.
3. S e n N. The economics o clima e change: he S e n
e iew. Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess;
c2007.
4. Rocks öm J, e al. A sa e ope a ing space o
humani y. Na u e. 2009;461:472–475.
5. Rawo h K. Doughnu economics. London: Random
House; c2017.
6. Uni ed Na ions De elopmen P og amme (UNDP).
Human de elopmen epo 2020: he nex on ie .
New Yo k: UNDP; c2020.
7. In e go e nmen al Panel on Clima e Change (IPCC).
Six h assessmen epo : clima e change 2023. Gene a:
IPCC; c2023.
8. Eu opean Commission. The Eu opean G een Deal.
B ussels: Eu opean Commission; c2019.
9. Go e nmen o India. Na ional sola mission p og ess
epo . New Delhi: Go e nmen o India; c2021.
10. Wo ld Bank. Sus ainabili y and de elopmen o e iew.
Washing on, DC: Wo ld Bank; c2021.
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