The Brundtland Commission, whose definition of sustainable development is widely cited, was established by the United Nations Organisation in 1983. Why was it set up?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → To study the world’s environmental problems and propose an agenda for addressing them
The Brundtland Commission was set up to study the world’s environmental problems and propose an agenda for them. Its report gave the popular definition of sustainable development.
Option (1) To study the world’s environmental problems and propose an agenda for addressing them — Correct. This is the purpose for which the Commission was set up.
Option (2) To lay down standards for sewage and trade effluents in member countries — Incorrect. Laying down such standards is a work of India’s pollution control boards.
Option (3) To ban the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds — Incorrect. CFCs were banned under the Montreal Protocol.
Option (4) To cut the emissions of greenhouse gases by industrialised nations — Incorrect. This was called for by the agreement of the UN Conference on Climate Change at Kyoto in 1997.
NCERT (2026-27): Glossary: “Brundtland Commission: A Commission established by United Nations Organisation in 1983 to study the world’s environmental problems and propose agenda for addressing them. It came out with a report. The definition provided by the Commission for the term, ‘sustainable development’, is very popular and widely cited all over the world.” |