ABSTRACT
Sustainable development has emerged as the dominant theme in environmental governance. Yet its defi nition remains ambiguous. It is argued that an interpretation of ‘sustainable development’ as ‘ecologically sustainable development’ is supported by history and academic scholarship. For example, the concept of sustainability has been known for hundreds of years, is consistent with the Brundtland Report and more recent publications including ‘Harmony with Nature’ of the UN Secretary General. Ecologically sustainable development provides clear guidance for the further development of international environmental law: from (reductionist) environmental law to (integrative) sustainability law. These issues will be explored in this chapter.
