**7.1. About concepts**

A common conceptual framework is needed to identify, discuss and solve environmental problems. However, as illustrated by the concept of "sustainable development", a global concensus about foggy concepts creates little progress. During the last 25 years, this concept has been considerably refined. A division between environmental, economic, and social development, and further sub-concepts within each these parts, has been constructive. However, further clarification about aims and methods is necessary. For instance, the concept of "green economy" contains a problematic premise about further economic growth. It is also sufficiently foggy to allow a practice close to "Business as usual". There is good reason to believe that world leaders *wanted* a foggy "green economy" concept at the Rio+20 meeting in 2012.

Concept producers like Edward O. Wilson are valuable people. Several of his concepts, like "biodiversity", "biophilia" and "eremozoicum" were rapidly taken into use globally. It is a tempting idea that concept evolution within the field of sustainable development could be regarded as an important academic discipline, attracting creative people. New concepts should be relevant, sharp enough, and difficult to misuse. Within certain topics, a lack of good concepts may keep important questions outside of today's debate. For instance, the value of deep personal experiences in contact with nature is difficult to communicate to others, but of great personal importance for some people. Several of today's foggy concepts deserve a systematic study in order to make them operable and to avoid misuse. Progress within certain complicated fields, for instance how to combine economic, environmental and social sustainability, depends upon research. Environmental challenges may be of local character, and different social and economic structures may need different conceptual models.

The rise of ecological thinking illustrates how basic, scientific concepts can be modified and applied in sustainable thinking and practice. To cooperate with nature's own processes has become a main aim in environmental sustainability. Furthermore, "ecological service" has rapidly come into international use, in order to illustrate our dependence upon a wellfunctioning nature. Various types of research have been initiated by the concept, for example attempts to transform the value of pollination into economy. However, the idea of "ecological service" is strongly anthropocentric. We should not forget biocentric motivations to protect nature. For instance, the inherent value of every species was the basic motivation for the philosopher Arne Næss in his fight for nature preservation. Fortunately, the Convention on Biological Diversity urges us to protect all species.

Some writers stress the importance of listing "non-sustainable activities". This is a constructive approach. In this connection, the term "environmental crime", or "ecological crime", has been used. Presumably, business leaders would not be happy to have this label attached to their activity.
