Développement Durable

After providing an historical perspective, the paper presents in a first part the three dimensions of SD and eight attributes that are common to most approaches even though these properties are variously interpreted and a common SD definition to most approaches is still elusive. This is followed by a look at the way neo-classical economics has attempted to fomalize these properties. The paper then discusses the concept of carrying capacity. In a second part, the paper examines SD at the international level from both a theoretical and institutional point of view. A third part of this paper looks at SD in an open economy. In a fourth part, the paper looks at SD at the industrial level. Finally, in a fifth part, the paper examines how external and internal factors contribute to promoting SD at the firm level.