Memorandum

To:

Dr. Diane Carter,

From:

Alexis Lpez, M.S. Candidate

Date:

February 14, 2016

Subject: Proposal of Portfolio Topic Sustainable Development

I propose to devote my portfolio toward communicating the importance of performing

future, international development in a sustainable manner to small- and mid-sized
business owners as well as members of the public in the country of Vietnam.
Sustainable development has not yet been embraced internationally, in part due to
various criticisms (Robinson, 2004; Sneddon, 2006). Performing additional outreach
involving clear communication on multiple levels will help to:
1) gain public support for the practice of sustainable development,
2) address criticisms of sustainable development,
3) provide useful information to incorporate sustainable development into city, state,
and country planning, and
4) move the discussion of sustainable development forward without a direct discussion
on climate change, with a goal of providing a more unifying concept with less
preconception and bias.
As human population continues to grow, the needs of society are contributing to
environmental degradation (primarily air, water, and soil pollution) caused by human
activities. At this point in time, one of the most pressing environmental problems is that
of global warming the trend of increasing temperatures around the world due to the
release of greenhouse gases from man-made sources. Additional pollution resulting
from inappropriate manufacturing practices and the disposal or release of hazardous
chemicals also degrades the natural environment. One way to address a number of
these problems is through creating and enforcing a clear sustainable development
program and rationale in developing countries such as Vietnam.
Sustainable development has been defined in many ways. However, one of the best,
most straightforward definitions describes sustainable development as development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987). The Brundtland definition
implies that natural resource depletion is the most significant challenge to the future of
humankind. Natural resources include the following components for each nation: soil
and other geology (e.g. mineral deposits, oil reserves, etc.), surface and underground
water, and air.
Sustainable development is a broad concept, which can be distilled down or expanded
upon depending upon the scope of a given document. Therefore, it is appropriate that
the communication strategy to bring the concept of sustainable development to
business owners and the public should include multiple forms of communications, from
internal memorandums and planning documents to external grants and news releases.
The goal of this communication strategy is to provide information to the public and to
business owners in Vietnam, in the hopes that they will lead the way by applying the
concepts of sustainable development in their own lives and businesses, and move
society toward the Brundtland goal of meeting the needs of today as well as the next
generation. The success of this program will depend on each individuals support of
sustainable development, their understanding of the costs (which are generally less
than traditional building and operation methods), and their belief that they can make a
change in their society.

References:
Robinson, J. (2004). Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable
development. Ecological economics, 48(4), 369-384.
Sneddon, C., Howarth, R. B., & Norgaard, R. B. (2006). Sustainable development in a
post-Brundtland world. Ecological economics, 57(2), 253-268.
GH, B., & Development, W. C. o. E. a. (1987). Our common future: Report of the World
Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University.