Taking sustainability to the corners of the Challenges and opportunities of the way forward

Abstract

Doing business in developing countries requires a thorough understanding not only of the challenges, but also of the differences of opinion that shapes people’s attitudes and choices. Working in developing countries certainly brings with it a number of challenges such as an uncertain economic environment, poverty and low urban investment, high levels of inequity and lack of capacity. However, the greatest barriers presented to the agents of the industrialised nations who want to work in developing countries, is the mistrust of “Western” developmental agendas and the continuing exploitation of developing country resources to the economic benefit of the developed nations without a fair sharing of these benefits. In this context, the problem of encouraging sustainable development will not be solved by the assumption that sustainability is a way of thinking that needs to be spread from the developed world to the rest of the dark world out there. Central to achieving sustainable development in both developed and developing worlds should be the understanding that both worlds can provide models, technologies, processes and, most importantly, values that can further the cause, and that they therefore need to work together, as equal partners, to solve the problems of sustainability.