Human development strategies are changing dramatically. It has become the common understanding by international society that the development strategy based on traditional industry is being replaced by sustainable development. This paper discusses the modern Earth system science and its relation with sustainable development etc. We consider that (1) the global environment is the foundation and the anthroposphere is the leading factor in the evolutionary process of the modern Earth system, (2) the modern Earth system science is the scientific basis for sustainable development strategy and (3) the implementation of sustainable development strategy should coordinate the relations between the anthroposphere and the global environment.