The concept of sustainable development emerged in the 1970s, beginning with the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. This landmark conference initiated global attention to environmental protection. The Stockholm Declaration outlined principles for sustainable environmental stewardship. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission's report, Our Common Future, defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

In the following years, key global milestones reinforced this idea, including Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration in 1992, the Johannesburg Declaration in 2002, and the UN Millennium Declaration in 2000. Each initiative contributed to a growing framework for aligning environmental sustainability with social and economic justice.

The sustainable development of natural resources has evolved through a series of major international declarations and frameworks. It began with the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, which raised global awareness about environmental challenges and led to the Stockholm Declaration. In 1987, the Brundtland Report introduced the foundational definition of sustainable development, linking environmental protection with economic and social development.

The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio advanced this agenda with the adoption of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration, both promoting integrated strategies for sustainability. Subsequent efforts included the 1997 Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the 2000 Millennium Declaration, which tied sustainable development to global poverty reduction and peacebuilding.

The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg reaffirmed commitments to sustainable resource use, while reports like Global Challenge, Global Opportunity highlighted emerging trends. These efforts culminated in continued support through the 2005 World Summit and the work of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and its Division for Sustainable Development, which continues to address key sustainability issues today.