Together they provide a conception of sustainable development and set forth fundamental guidelines for achieving it. These principles are drawn from international law, science, philosophy, religion, recent UN Summit meetings, and the international Earth Charter conversation on global ethics. The goal of sustainable development is full human development and ecological protection. The Earth Charter recognizes that humanity's environmental, economic, social, cultural, ethical, and spiritual problems and aspirations are interconnected. It affirms the need for holistic thinking and collaborative, integrated problem solving.
Sustainable development requires such an approach.
It is about freedom, justice, participation, and peace as well as environmental protection and economic well-being. Some groups would prefer a short Earth Charter that is a prayer or poem or a declaration with five to ten principles only. Others strongly favor a more substantial document that is more like an intergovernmental declaration. In an effort to address these different concerns, the Drafting Committee has created a layered document with a Preamble, sixteen main principles, various supporting principles, and a conclusion. The principles are divided into four parts.