Concept of sustainable development

Concept of sustainable development

Objectives
1) To introduce the concept of sustainable
development
2) To list three approaches towards attaining
sustainability (Herman Daly)
3)To list four goals for a society based on
sustainable conception
4)To list five drafts of Stockholm declaration
5)To list five agreements of Earth Summit, 1992
6)To list 11 ways to attain sustainable
development
 Need of sustainable development
1. Hunter-gatherer life in the
beginning
2. Wants increased—
industrialization, urbanization
3. Resulted in environmental
degradation—manifested
differently in different regions
 What does sustain mean?
• To keep in existence without
diminishing, to provide sustenance
and nourishment
• Sustainable Consumption
• Sustainable production
• Sustainable Community
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Sustainable development
• Sustainable business
 What is development?

• To bring out the capabilities or

possibilities of, to bring to
• a more advanced or effective
state
• Not growth
• To improve, make better
 A sustainable community
• Nourishes, allowing all its
members to flourish

• Is able to continue indefinitely

• Does not mean “no change” or

“never changing” or “status quo”

• Does not mean utopia

 How do you define a community?
• A social group of any size whose
members reside in a specific
locality, share government, and
often have a common cultural and
historical heritage
• A geographic area whose size
should be determined by members
• Includes economic, environmental,
social/cultural features of that area
 What is carrying capacity?
• The population that can be
supported indefinitely by an
ecosystem without destroying the
ecosystem
• Depends on available resources and
per capita consumption
 What is community capital?
1. Natural capital --Natural resources;
Services provided for human activity;
Capacity of capital to sustain diversity and
long term health.
2. Human/social capital-- Connectedness
to people and community; Education, skills
and health of population
3. Financial/Built capital--Manufactured
goods, buildings, infrastructure;
Information resources; Credit and debt
• Brundtland Commission
• Sustainability is: “development
that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their
own needs”
• World Commission on the
Environment and Development
 Sustainability is:
• “...improving the quality of human
life while living within the carrying
capacity of supporting ecosystems.”
• Caring for the Earth
• Quality of all human life
• Living within the limits
• Conservation and development are
parts of the same process
 Three approaches-Herman Daly
(Economist)
1. Rates of use of renewable resources
do not exceed regeneration rates,
2. Rates of use of non-renewable
resources do not exceed rates of
development of renewable substitutes.
3. Rates of pollution emission do not
exceed assimilative capacities of the
environment.
popularization of the concept of sust. devp.

• World Commission on Env. and

Devp., ( Brundtland Commission) --
promote sustainable &
environmentally sound devp.

• Intensified after the UN Conference

for Env. and Devp. (Earth Summit) in
1992.
• Several UN texts, (eg. World
Summit Outcome Document,
2005) refer economic devp.,
social devp. and environmental
protection as "interdependent and
mutually reinforcing pillars" of
SD.
• The UK Sustainable Development
Strategy, 2005, has the objective of
enabling all people throughout the
world to satisfy their basic needs
and enjoy a better quality of life,
without compromising the quality
of life of future generations.
• The need to expand the economy in
the long term without using up
natural capital for current growth.
• Many criticize “SD" as an oxymoron
claiming that economic policies based
around concepts of growth and
continued depletion of resources are
not sustainable.
• “SD" is a term invented by business
people to show capitalism as
ecologically friendly, and to quiet
people promoting environmentalist
values.
 Drafts of Stockholm declaration--
1) natural resources, must be safe
guarded for present and future
generations by careful planning and
appropriate management.
2) man has special responsibility to
safeguard and manage the heritage of
wild life and its habitats. Discharge
of toxic and other substances should
be halted .
 Drafts of Stockholm declaration-
3) science and technology for economic
and social devp. --applied to the
avoidance, identification and control of
env. risks and solution of env. problems.
4) scientific research and devp. related to
env. problems must be promoted at all
levels especially in developing countries
where most of the biological diversity is
available.
 Drafts of Stockholm declaration-
5) free flow of up-to-date information
and transfer of technology must be
maintained in order to facilitate the
solution of env. problems of
developing countries and that
states should ensure that
international organizations play a
coordinated role for the protection
of environment.
• the UN conference on
Environment and Development
(UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in
1992. (the Earth summit),
approved a set of agreements.
1) A global action plan for sustainable
development, containing over 100
programmed areas-- trade and
environment, agriculture and
desertification, technology transfer.
2)The Rio Declaration on environment
and Development – A statement of 27
key principles to guide the integration
of environment and development
policies (including the polluter pays,
prevention and precautionary and
participation principles)
3) The statement of principles on
Forests – the first global consensus
on the management, conservation
and sustainable development of
the world’s forests.
4) The framework convention on
climate change – a legally binding
agreement to stabilize greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere at levels
that will not upset the global
climate.
5) The convention on biological
diversity -- a legally binding
agreement to conserve the
world’s genetic, species and
ecosystem diversely and share
the benefits of its use in fair and
equitable way.
Commission on Sustainable
Develop. (CSD) 1992.
Identified 4 goals towards society
based on sustainable consumption.
1.Close process cycles (aiming
reuse, recycle and repair)
2.Halving fossil fuel use (energy
conservation, shrinking energy
intensive sectors and introducing
energy taxes)
 CSD-- goals
3. Improving the quality of
materials (using a cradle-to-
grave approach - more
durable, repairable and
recyclable)
4. Reducing transportation
( proximity principle).
Charting a course for Sustain.
Develop.
1) Stabilize chemical cycles and moderate
the pace of climate change.
2) Reducing the use or wastage of non-
renewable resources –
3) Sustainable use of renewable resources –
4) Keeping pollution within the absorptive
capacity of local and global sinks of
wastes –
 Charting a course for Sustain.
Develop.
5) Eliminate threat to global food
security

6) Control threats to biodiversity and

do steps for increasing biodiversity.

7) Complete demographic transition

and stabilize world population
 Charting a Sustainable course
8) Meeting human needs
economically
9) Meeting social, cultural and
health requirements of mankind-
10) Satisfying political aspirations
of peoples
11) Provide environmental education
• Sustainable development, thus, is
a moderate position between the
extremes of no growth versus
unlimited growth, and is based on
the use of renewable resources in
harmony with ecological systems.
Measures of sustainable
development
 Objectives

1) To list 5 Es of sustainability
2) To describe the concept of indicators for
measuring sustainable development
3) To list 7 indicators
4) To list characteristics of a good indicator
5) To list 11 questionnaires for evaluating
indicators
 The Five Es of Sustainability
• ECONOMY- devp. plans compatible with
nature- that protect and/or enhance natural
resources.
• ECOLOGY– understanding natural ecosystem
capacity .
• EQUITY - Well-being, equal access to jobs,
education, resources, and services.
• EDUCATION - Learning, awareness, &
training — interdisciplinary curriculum.
• EVALUATION - Measuring the making of a
Difference — identifying key sustainability
indicators.
• What is an indicator?
• A way to measure, indicate, point out or
point to with more or less exactness;
• Something used to show visually the
condition of a system.
 Indicators of sustainability- are for
• Measuring progress -
• Explaining sustainability- by making
it more concrete
• Educating community- about what is
important
• Showing linkages- between different
parts of community-
• Motivating- people to act
• Focusing action-on critical issues
• Nature provides
materials for
production.

• Production
provides jobs.

• Jobs alleviate
poverty
 What makes a good indicator?
1. Addresses carrying capacity
2. Is relevant to the community
3. Is understandable to community
4. Is usable by the community
5. Takes a long term view of progress
6. Shows links between economy,
environment and society
 Different indicators
1. Environmental indicators
2. Cultural/social indicators
3. Economic indicators
4. National economic indicators
5. Gross national product
6. Genuine progress indicator
7. Ecological foot print-water foot print-
carbon foot print
 1. Eg. Environmental Indicators
• Parts per million of particulate
matter in the air
• Number of good air quality days
• Increase in asthma-related
hospital admissions
• Number of vehicle miles traveled
• Annual emissions of greenhouse
gases per person
 2. Eg.Cultural/Social Indicators

• Number of runaway children

• Number of reported abuse cases
• Families with satisfactory child
care arrangements
• Families with adequate income
 3. Eg. Economic Indicators

• Net job growth

• Employment diversity
• Number of jobs with benefits
• Work required to support basic
needs
4.Eg. of national economic indicators
• Gross National/Domestic Product
• Genuine Progress Indicator
• Ecological Footprint
5. Gross National Product
 Gross National Product
• Generally considered to measure
economic welfare
• Actually a measure of money flow
between businesses and households
• Rises when money is spent for
problems like health care and
natural disasters.
• Does not include non-market
activities such as volunteer labour.
Genuine Progress Indicator
 6. Eg. Genuine Progress Indicator
• Volunteer labor
• Cost of crime
• Family breakdown
• Underemployment
• Ozone depletion
• Loss of old growth forests
Ecological Footprint
 7. Eg. Ecological Footprint

• Estimate of resources consumed

• Relates economy to carrying
capacity
• Not a measure of quality of life,
measure of life style
 Sustainable Community Indicators
• Energy use per person
• Percent of land area that is natural, modified, cultivated, built,
and degraded
• Number of hours working at the average wage needed to pay
for basic needs
• Acres of land redeveloped
• Number of acres of farmland remaining in the county
• Percent of food produced locally
• Annual fuel consumption and number of vehicle miles
• traveled
• Dollars spent in local community that stay local
• Percent of goods made from recycled material
• Annual harvest of timber compared to growth rate
 Making a better indicator

• Measure what you want to be

• Make a measure that speaks to
people
• Measure the cause not just the
effect
Making measures that speak to people
• Relate to sustainability
• Make it personal
• Focus on the goal
• If people cannot understand an
indicator, it won’t help
• If people do not see what they can
do to fix a problem, it won’t help.
A traditional indicator –
A more personal indicator –
 Measure cause and effect

• Pressure: activity causing state

• State: condition that exists
• Response: actions to change
state
Pressure - State - Response
 Evaluating Indicators
• Relevant to the community
• Understandable and useable by the community
• Long-term view
• Links different facets of community
• Addresses carrying capacity—use of resources
and size of population
• Pressure state or response need to be considered
• Type of capital -- social, financial and natural
• Environmental Indicators
• Resource Use
• Cost of solid waste disposal
• Number of people recycling
• Pounds of material recycled
• Number of products made from recycled material
• Number of products made to be recycled,
repairable, compostable
• Economic Indicators
• Income
• Median income
• Distribution of personal income
• Hours of work needed to support basic
needs
• Economic indicators
• Transportation Indicators
• Waiting time at intersection
• Number of cars at peak period
• Time devoted to non-recreational travel
• Portion of household expenses spent on
transportation
• Percent of vehicles powered by renewable energy
• Ability of non-drivers to reach employment
centers
• Land Use Indicators
• Number of permits issued
• Number of housing starts
• Change in urban area vs. change in
population
• Acres of farmland lost to development
• Land per capita used for transportation
• Change in amount of impervious surfaces
Characteristics of effective indicators
• Relevant; they show you
something about the system that
you need to know.
• Understandable, even by people
who are not experts.
• Reliable; you can trust the
information that the indicator is
providing.
• Based on accessible data; data is
available or can be gathered.
 Sustainable Community Indicators
• Energy use per person
• Annual emissions of greenhouse gases per person
• Percent of land area that is natural, modified, cultivated,
built, and degraded
• Number of hours working at the average wage needed to
pay for basic needs
• Acres of land redeveloped
• Number of acres of farmland remaining in the county
• Percent of food produced locally
• Annual fuel consumption and number of vehicle miles
traveled
• Amount spent in local community that stay local
• Percent of goods made from recycled material
• Annual harvest of timber compared to growth rate
• (Caring for the Earth )
 Sustainable businesses
• Replace nationally and internationally produced items
with products created locally and regionally.
• Take responsibility for the effects they have on the
natural world.
• Do not require exotic sources of capital in order to
develop and grow.
• Engage in production processes that are human,
worthy, dignified, and intrinsically satisfying.
• Create objects of durability and long-term utility
whose ultimate use or disposition will not be harmful
to future generations.
• Change consumers to customers through education.
• Paul Hawken, “The Ecology of Commerce”
 Sustainable Production
• Products and services are ecologically
safe through out their life cycle
• Processes and technologies minimize or
eliminate hazards and wastes
• Workers are valued and their skills and
capabilities are continuously developed
• Communities are respected and enhanced
economically, socially, culturally, and
physically
• Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
 Sustainable Agriculture
• “..farmers in sustainable agriculture are
concerned about feeding their families
and paying their bills, but those are not
their only goals in life. They set out to
protect the land, improve their quality
of life, and enhance the communities in
which they live. Their day-to-day
decisions are not guided by a single
minded search for profit, but by a
delicate balancing act among many
goals.”
• Dick Levins, Land Stewardship Program, Minnesota
Sustainable Agriculture Indicators
• Reliance on government programs
• Use of equipment, chemicals and
nonrenewable energy
• Creation of jobs
• Balance between feed use and feed
production
• 1.Does the indicator address
the carrying capacity of the
natural resources -- renewable
and nonrenewable, local and
nonlocal -- that the community
relies on?
2. Doesthe indicator address the
carrying capacity of the
ecosystem services upon
which the community relies,
whether local, global, or from
distant sources?
3. Does the indicator address the carrying
capacity of aesthetic qualities -- the beauty
and life-affirming qualities of nature -- that
are important to the community?
4. Does the indicator address the carrying
capacity of the community's human capital
-- the skills, abilities, health and education
of people in the community?.
5.Does the indicator address the
carrying capacity of a
community's social capital -- the
connections between people in a
community: the relationships of
friends, families, neighborhoods,
social groups, businesses,
governments and their ability to
cooperate, work together and
interact in positive, meaningful
ways?
6. Doesthe indicator address the
carrying capacity of a community's
built capital -- the human-made
materials (buildings,
infrastructure, and information)
that are needed for quality of life
and the community's ability to
maintain and enhance those
materials with existing resources?
7. Does the indicator provide a
long-term view of the
community?
8. Does the indicator address the
issue of economic, social or
biological diversity in the
community?
9. Does the question address the
issue of equity or fairness --
either between current
community residents (intra-
generational equity) or
between current and future
residents (inter-generational
equity)?
10. Is the indicator
understandable to and usable
by its intended audience?
11. Does the indicator measure a
link between economy and
environment; environment and
society; society and economy?
12. Does the indicator measure
sustainability that is at the
expense of another community or
at the expense of global
sustainability?
 Who is Working on Sustainability?
• Economic Development Corporations
• Civic Organizations
• Environmental Groups
• Business Groups
• Nonprofits
• Foundations
• Religious Organizations
• Government Agencies--Local,
Regional, State, and Federal
 How are They Working on it?
• Visioning
• Community Forums
• Community Profiles
• Master Plans
• Location (Special Place) Mapping
• Resource Mapping
• Community Income Statements
• Neighborhood Eco-Teams
• Local Currency
• Sustainability Evaluation Indicators
 Why are People Working on it?
• “ ... it has always been my hope that the
council would show the vision... and,
more than creating a quality lifestyle,
create a different lifestyle, a lifestyle
more appropriate to a planet of
diminishing resources,...to look at new
job opportunities, to tune into the
changing world and be able to change
and adapt to it.”
• Mount Washington Valley Economic Council Member
 Sustainable businesses
• Replace national and international products with
products created locally and regionally.
• Take responsibility for their effects on
environment.
• Do not require exotic sources of capital to
develop and grow.
• Engage in production processes that are human,
worthy, dignified, and satisfying. Create objects
of durability and long-term utility whose use or
disposition will not be harmful to future
generations.