Introduction to Sustainability Topic 1.4 Introduction to Sustainability

Natural income …the yield obtained from natural resources

Natural Income Fish Timber plants Flood control Oxygen production Physical product Ecosystem Services Fish Timber plants Flood control Oxygen production Water purification

policy …a selected, planned line of conduct in the light of which individual decisions are made and coordination achieved - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

scale - physical / geographical - ecological - jurisdictional may be: ranking based upon size, dimension, geographical subunit, etc. - ecological individual, deme, community, population - jurisdictional local, municipal, regional, federal, global

ngos / community groups scale earth continent country province region municipality neighbourhood household individual GLOBAL / MACRO LOCAL / MICRO United Nations . governments ngos / community groups individuals spatial jurisdictional / decision making

jurisdiction - the exercising of this power - the legal power to administer and enforce the law - the exercising of this power - the region within which this power is valid or in which a person has authority - authority - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

Sustainability: The use and management of resources so that full natural replacement of exploited resources can take place

Defining Sustainable Development

Sustainable development: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987): Our Common Future

Elements of sustainability Environment The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. Economy Society - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

the sustainable development triangle

Elements of sustainability Environment The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. Economy Society - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

biophysical interactions Elements of sustainability Environment biodiversity materials energy biophysical interactions The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

Elements of sustainability money and capital employment technological growth investment market forces The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. Economy - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

Elements of sustainability human diversity (cultural, linguistic, ethnic) equity (dependence / independence) quality of life institutional structures and organization political structures The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. Society - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

The ‘3 Es’ Model Ecology Economy Equity The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. Economy Equity

The Healthy Community Model Social Economic Environmental equitable bearable sustainable The three interlinked elements in the Bruntland Commission’s sustainable development equation are environment, economy, and society. viable

Sustainability: PROBLEMS Depletion of finite resources fuels, soil, minerals, species Over-use of renewable resources forests, fish & wildlife, fertility, public funds Pollution air, water, soil Inequity economic, political, social, gender Species loss endangered species and spaces - WCED, 1987

Sustainability: SOLUTIONS Cyclical material use emulate natural cycles; 3 R’s Safe reliable energy conservation, renewable energy, substitution, interim measures Life-based interests health, creativity, communication, coordination, appreciation, learning, intellectual and spiritual development

EQUITY LIMITS TO GROWTH Two key sustainable development concepts: -WCED 1987

Sustainable development... implies limits Not predefined absolute limits, but limitations imposed by: the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities adaptability of human social and political organization technology

Sustainable development and economic growth Economic growth must be made: less material intensive (‘dematerialization of the economy’) less energy intensive more equitable in its impacts Economic growth may be reduced or curtailed to meet limitations imposed by environment, technology, or society

Institutional gaps impeding sustainable development 2 major gaps: fragmented decision making narrow mandates, jurisdictional rigidity, lack of communication and coordination lack of accountability failure to make the bodies whose policy actions degrade the environment responsible for their actions

materials and energy

Obsolescent “frontier” civilization: HEAT ENERGY NON-RENEWABLE and RENEWABLE HIGH THROUGHPUT CONSUMER SOCIETY CONVENTIONAL URBAN SYSTEM WASTE & TOXINS MATERIALS One-way flow of materials and energy

Cyclical flows of materials Appropriate energy usage Sustainable civilization: Energy Efficiency Low-quality Heat Energy ENERGY LOW THROUGHPUT RENEWABLE CONSERVER SOCIETY Low-volume Nontoxic Waste Materials MATERIALS Waste Minimization Toxics control Cyclical flows of materials Appropriate energy usage

information and decision making

Sustainable development... considers future and present needs when making decisions about: resource and energy use technological development direction of investments social, political & institutional change...etc. etc. etc.

ECONOMY ENV’T SOCIETY TRADITIONAL DECISION MAKING

ECONOMY NON-PARTICIPATORY FRAGMENTED TRADITIONAL DECISION MAKING ENV’T SOCIETY NON-PARTICIPATORY FRAGMENTED TRADITIONAL DECISION MAKING

ECONOMY ECOSYSTEM-BASED DECISION MAKING ENV’T SOCIETY SOCIETY ECONOMY ‘ECO- SYSTEM HEALTH’ ENVIRONMENT TRADITIONAL DECISION MAKING ECOSYSTEM-BASED DECISION MAKING

ECOSYSTEM-BASED DECISION MAKING SOCIETY ECONOMY ‘ECO- SYSTEM HEALTH’ PARTICIPATORY INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENT ECOSYSTEM-BASED DECISION MAKING

Fragmented decision-making private other interests public community groups federal / national ISSUE municipal provincial / state regional - after Barrett and Kidd, 1991

Integrated decision-making private other interests public community groups federal/ national ISSUE municipal provincial/ state regional - after Barrett and Kidd, 1991

decision making reactive

decision making reactive (‘end of pipe’)

decision making anticipatory reactive

decision making anticipatory (planning for change) reactive

decision making radical anticipatory reactive

decision making radical (fundamental; root causes) anticipatory reactive

decision making radical anticipatory reactive

environment and economy society or Industry change in demand - less consumption - alternative consumption change in process - clean technology - elimination of toxics sewage treatment plant - ‘end of pipe’ solution environment and economy society or radical anticipatory reactive

Northern Telecom Historical example: based in Canada 42 plants in various countries manufacturer of electronic components (telecommunications) 1988: 1000+ tonnes of CFCs per year 1992: 0 tonnes of CFCs used per year

Original Process 1) raw components and grease 2) manufacturing and assembly process 3) clean off grease with CFCs 4) finished product

Revised process 1) raw components, no grease 2) manufacturing and assembly process 3) no need to clean off grease with CFCs 4) finished product

Environment AND Economy $1 million to develop new process $4 million savings in first year (no CFCs) $50 million savings to year 2000 international environmental prize -> great publicity contract with Mexico for industrial innovation (very lucrative)

radical anticipatory reactive

Industry radical anticipatory reactive

Industry change in demand for product industrial process sewage treatment plant for wastes radical anticipatory reactive

zoo / seed bank for endangered species Transportation Industry change in demand for product industrial process sewage treatment plant for wastes Biodiversity apply landscape ecology principles to human activity establish national parks (12%) to protect habitats zoo / seed bank for endangered species Transportation radical anticipatory reactive

zoo / seed bank for endangered species Transportation Industry change in demand for product industrial process sewage treatment plant for wastes Biodiversity apply landscape ecology principles to human activity establish national parks (12%) to protect habitats zoo / seed bank for endangered species Transportation complete redesign of our cities alternative fuels for cars catalytic converters radical anticipatory reactive

Sustainability: How do we move from rhetoric to reality?

principles

principles policy

principles policy practice

To be useful, principles of sustainability must: be easily understood be applicable in many contexts be transferrable across scales translate well from fundamental values into applied policy and practical action identify possibilities for radical transformative change AND positive incremental change