Territorial Actors of Sustainable Development

In the earth system, which is more and more heavily marked out by settlement, production and organization patterns affecting the geographic space, which subtend a strong dependence on homologation processes implied in the globalization of economy, it is easy to finish up with neglecting the importance of the differentiated structure of both natural and social ecosystem. Geography aims to remind that the structural versification of the globe stems from the evident difference between natural elements and human elements, and in particular, it stresses its continuous becoming. In other words, giving prominence to the social system over the natural system, the socio-economic evolution produced evident phenomena of transformation of the natural system, resulting not only in improving the living conditions, but even in jeopardizing the environmental features, transferring, in so doing, negative attitudes â€" not always sure - on the social system. This process represents the logical consequence of the constant strain towards an economic development which is able to produce social growth and wealth. Therefore, it becomes evident that, only after getting to a certain growth and to higher wealth standards of a population, it is possible to focus the attention on the environment, beginning from the environmental protection to its appreciation. This is the starting point of the considerations which will follow. Different territorial development paths are running beside or opposite to different processes of environmental policy and, as a consequence, the territorial actors of sustainability (firms, institutions and population), already different according to the place, follow different and changeable trends, even as far as environment is concerned; and within a framework of different time and space, it is possible to finish up with a differentiated vision of development, including diverse objectives and instruments aimed at development sustainability