South Africa’s pursuit of sustainable development remains uneven, with economic growth often taking precedence over environmental and social considerations, and while laws and policies highlight sustainability, practice tells a different story.
“Economic growth dominates the discourse,” said Dr Fredua Agyemang, a postdoctoral research fellow under the SARChI Chair: Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability at the North-West University (NWU).
“Social sustainability is often reduced to consultation exercises, and environmental concerns are treated as secondary.”