What is ‘Sustainability’?
Sustainability is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days and has connotations to many subjects. Simply, the Oxford dictionary presents the definition of sustainability as:
“The ability to continue or be continued for a long time”- The Oxford Dictionary
When this term is related to ‘development’ however, it essentially comes to mean the same thing! Whatever initiatives are undertaken on a local or global level, in order for them to be sustainable, they must be able to foreseeably continue to make an impact without compromising the future in any way. Sustainable development is widely understood to mean:
‘Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’- Bruntland Commission Report
This is the definition set out in Our Common Future, a report by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) in 1987, it is a broad but all encompassing definition that points to how wide this term can reach.
But as you can imagine, within this space the term has become almost synonymous with ‘Environmental Sustainability’ as avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance is indeed sustainable, whereas by definition the depletion of those resources would lead to life not being able to sustain itself in the same way.
Along with the impact of our current actions on future generations, sustainable development also helps us to understand that social, economic and environmental problems are connected. If we create a solution in one area, it could have a positive or negative effect on another. It is often said that governments need to ensure there is ‘policy coherence’, which means this connectedness is reflected in their policy making.
There is still much debate about the concept and practicalities of sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals are the international communities’ most focused attempt so far to set out what sustainable development means in practice for all nations, economically ‘rich’ and ‘poor.’ Have a watch of this short video from the United Nations giving an overview of the current global approach:
You may have come across these before, but the SDGs are a key concept to understand a global approach to thinking about sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The SDGs, set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and intended to be achieved by the year 2030, are part of UN Resolution 70/1, the 2030 Agenda.
The video on the left is a simple UN explanation of what the SDGs are and why they are important.
Give it a watch and reflect on some of the initiatives you have heard about globally that relate to any of these goals, why they are undertaken in the way they are and whether you believe they are effective.
We know the term ‘sustainability’ is so frequently linked to the environment, but there is a reason this is the case: the unsustainable use of global physical resources is one of the clearest examples of how short-term mindedness of global systems and motives have dire consequences for all through the implications of climate change and ecological imbalance.
Four of the SDGs (12, 13, 14 and 15) are more directly focused on this topic but it could be argued that they underpin all of the other development goals as without a stable environment and planet to live, all goals become somewhat redundant. Sustainability is needed to ensure the life of our planet and all those who live on it are secure for the future.
Through creating an environmentally positive impact, humans can ensure that both the health of the land and our people are paramount and continue to thrive. Building more resilient homes and shelters will mean that more lives will be saved and fewer people will become injured or dispossessed during natural disasters. By developing cleaner energy sources and products, we will be able to transform the future whilst meeting the basic needs for those living in all parts of the world.
Through successful innovation and investment, we will be able to better look after our planet. Whether through creating new environmentally friendly products, changing our human behaviour or preventing economically challenging acts such as overfishing and deforestation, we are at a crucial point where we need to implement effective changes to our lives for the sake of the planet.
Money isn’t a trivial matter when it comes to climate change and sustainability – increased wealth can have huge implications in terms of safety. If individuals and governments can invest in better protection for communities prior to natural disasters or sea level rise, less capital will have to be continually stretched on rebuilding communities and cities post-disasters. In turn, this leaves more financial capital available to invest into healthcare, education and environmental programs.
Under the United Nations it is stated that every person has the ‘Right to Development’ – as a result it is important to consider how different practices on an international, national and individual level can restrict this human right.
As you work through this module we challenge you to reflect on some of the reasons the unsustainable use of global resources takes place, developing your views on the future role of governments who have driven unsustainable growth, the role that organisations and individuals can play and inevitably what a global approach may look like in tackling unsustainable development. Climate change and environmental degradation effect Fiji immediately and have serious consequences for the island nation.
In watching the video below, consider the ripple effect of actions that have led to this scenario and those that may result following rising incidences such as these. You may want to think about the roles of consumers, policy writers, voters and business leaders, to name a few.