Realization of the principle of sustainable development in Polish environmental policy after the conferences in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and 2012

Increase of the global population to 9 billion by 2050, as well as the number of middle-class people exceeding 3 billion by 2030, will not only lead to an increase in demand for different types of products, but also can cause enormous environmental degradation. The conferences, which took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and 2012, surely played a huge role in shaping the concept of sustainable development in the international arena. Poland, as an active participant of both Earth Summits, also implemented legislation concerning the concept of sustainable development. However, for our country a crucial significance is seen in the policy in this regard shaped by the European Union. After joining the European Community, it was necessary to implement EU directives and to adjust national legislation to European law. The subject of environmental protection and natural resources should be moved in the international scope. the future of the next generations and the future of the world depends on proper co-operation of states and environmental policy.Uniwersytet w Białymstok