A development is sustainable if it enables the needs of the current generation to be met equitably without compromising the satisfaction of the needs of future generations.

A sustainable development that addresses social, environmental and institutional problems on a systemic basis is guided by the following five cross-cutting principles:

• all countries' responsibility for the state of the planet, and especially of the rich ones;
• double equity, both among today’s generation and between the present and future generations;
• integration of the economic, social and environmental components of development;
• precautions against the risk of serious or irreversible damage and the need for preventive measures;
• public participation in the decision-making process by making information available to the public.

These five principles were adopted in 1992 by the international community at the Rio Conference and the sustainable development concept is best known mainly thanks to three world conferences organised by the United Nations :

• The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992);
• The UN World Summit on Sustainable Development;
• The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio de Janeiro, 2012 = Rio +20).

The overarching goals of a sustainable development that were adopted in 1992/2002 and confirmed in 2012 (Rio +20) are :

• Eradicating poverty;
• Changing unsustainable production and consumption patterns into sustainable ones;
• Protecting and managing the natural resources on which economic and social development is based.

To contribute to the follow-up of the commitments made in this framework, the FPB regularly publishes the Federal report on sustainable development in accordance with the Law of 5 May 1997 regarding the coordination of the federal policy on sustainable development. The law also introduced the Federal plan for sustainable development.