movements into the domain of politics and public life function as an ideology, just as culture and religion does (see eco-social market economy). This has a major impact on state responsibility and organisation. International co-operation required the multitude of supra-national organisations, which do not only weaken state competence but they also narrow the framework of national souverenity. To solve and manage issues at a local level, new institutions were needed to coordinate the new state organisations and institutions. Proliferating bureaucracy results in a top heavy state and increased state budgets.
4.4. How does the theory of sustainable development develop? The concept and practice of sustainable development has significantly changed by today. The pursuit that originally privileged but ecological considerations has in the meantime grown into a global movement. After the careful examination of the complex relationship between humans and nature, it concluded that against our best intentions the human-created world in its present form cannot be harmonised with the natural capacities of the earth. The developmental model based on economic growth has become so widespread that even when strictly regulated it cannot impede environmental pollution while these limitations further increase the poverty in the third world.78 The tensions between North and South are not only the root causes of insecurity in international politics and real wars, but also endanger whole continents. One of the biggest recognitions of the past half century is that Earth and within it, humankind form a unity. Globalisation and localisation can only be examined within this context.79 According to the definition provided by the economist Ignacy Sachs, and this already represents a new model, sustainable development has five dimensions, namely: Society (growth, vision), Economy (distribution, resource distribution, management and effectiveness of resources), Protection of the environment ( minimalisation of human intervention), Space structure/ regionalism (relaxation of differences between cities and provinces, regional development), Culture (increase in the plurality of local solutions in order to respect cultural continuity) What does sustainable development mean today after all? The answer is relatively simple: “it is the search for a new developmental model”. To put it differently, behind the movement lies the global vision of the future, whose raison d’etre consists of dangers that are continuously generated everywhere in the world, which do not only endanger our present world but also the existence of human societies and civilisations. Although the majority of scientists see the problem only as a side question, the view that sustainable development is not exclusively an economic and/or environmental issue has gained terrain. Even economists whom are most sensitive to ecological issues have to admit that sustainability is a multi78
Anne-Marie Ducroux: 10 questions-réponses, p.13-18. Rééquilibrer le plus, le mieux, le moins, p. 19-25 – Dominique Bourg: Les fondements du développement durable: la limite et les fins, p. 244-249. 79 Ignacy Sachs (1997): L’écodéveloppement, stratégie pour le XXIe siècle, Paris (éd. Syros / Alternatives économiques)
86