Extract:

Australia's goal, core objectives and guiding principles for the Strategy: 

Goal:

Development that improves the total quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life depends.

Core Objectives:

• to enhance individual and community well-being and welfare by following a path of economic development that safeguards the welfare of future generations
• to provide for equity within and between generations
• to protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems

Guiding Principles:

• decision making processes should effectively integrate both long and short-term economic, environmental, social and equity considerations
• where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation
• the global dimension of environmental impacts of actions and policies should be recognised and considered
• the need to develop a strong, growing and diversified economy which can enhance the capacity for environmental protection should be recognised
• the need to maintain and enhance international competitiveness in an environmentally sound manner should be recognised
• cost effective and flexible policy instruments should be adopted, such as improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms
• decisions and actions should provide for broad community involvement on issues which affect them

These guiding principles and core objectives need to be considered as a package. No objective or principle should predominate over the others. A balanced approach is required that takes into account all these objectives and principles to pursue the goal of ESD.

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