Sustainable development and quality of life: the role of public sector.

The aim of the paper is to analyze the evolution of the concept of
sustainability and the central role of the public organizations for the
sustainable development. Nowadays sustainability is at the forefront
of many organization’s agenda. The recent evolution in the role of
public organizations has led to the recognition of a social and
environmental aspect to their activities which obliges them to seek
sustainable growth. There is a disjoint between the public sector’s
central role in sustainable development and its actual participation in
the endeavor. The reason behind this is the difficulty in integrating the
numerous needs of citizens and requirements of different cultures.
This study analyses a model that explains how sustainability can help
to improve the quality of the life of citizens. The paper explores the link
between culture and sustainability from a public organization
perspective and it examines how culture must be integrated within
public sector organizations planning. This research considers that the
goal of sustainable development is to enable all people to satisfy their
basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising
the quality of life of future generations. We argue that sustainable
development offers the most appropriate set of values for the creation
and maintenance of public value.