Understanding Sustainable Development HS 419 Lecture 1

Course Contents The history of Sustainable Development: From Malthus to Sustainable Development, The Brundtland Report, The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, The World Summit on Sustainable Development; Millennium Development Goals (MGDs): the rationale for MDGs and its link with Sustainable Development; Principles of Sustainability: the precautionary principle and the safe minimum standard; Growth and sustainability: Impact, Population, Affluence and Technology (IPAT) model, ecological footprint, green GDP; Sustainable Development Indicators; Challenges to Sustainable Development: Natural resource depletion and Climate change; International Cooperation: Cooperation between regions, People’s Earth Charter, NGO’s and social entrepreneurs

Books Rogers P. P,Jalal, K.F and Boyd, A.J, An Introduction to Sustainable Development, Earthscan, UK, 2007 Daly H.E, Beyond Growth: the economics of sustainable development, Beacon Press, Boston, 1996

The history of Sustainable Development Malthus to Sustainable Development

The term ‘Environment’ in Economics

DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERM ‘ENVIRONMENT’ IN ECONOMICS Economists, until recently, held the view that ‘environment’ is a subset of the economy and the economy can grow forever. The only role that nature plays is as a provider of raw materials for economic growth and as a sink for all the waste that is generated during the economic process.

Economy Environment Extraction Waste No Limits to Growth New technology would take care/ recycle wastes

The animals they killed provided meat for food, bones for tools, and hides for clothing.

Bands migrated when food (plants or animals) became scarce in one location. Reasons for the Migrations Couldn’t find enough food Growing number of bands Changing climate (desertification) Follow animals on the move (hunting)

Agriculture and settled form of life Because there are no written records of the transition period between 8000 and 5000 B.C. when many animals were first domesticated and plants were cultivated on a regular basis, we cannot be certain why and how some people adopted the new ways of producing food and other necessities of life.

Agriculture and settled form of life Agriculture ended the nomadic lifestyle. People began to settle down, which led to concentration of population. Development of technology – storage, Led to greater population Property rights Surplus production led to division of labour Extensive trade and development of money

The industrial Revolution (18 th century) With the advent of industrial revolution, advancement in technology did not remain a dream anymore. The period from the 18th to the 19th century, witnessed a profound impact of technology on the economy, society and the global ecosystem. For the first time human society became largely dependent on fossil fuels and other non renewable resources

Industrial Revolution New technology and vast amounts of fossil fuel led to unprecedented production of consumer goods. However industrial revolution also led to rapid depletion of natural resources. But it was over looked because at that time the role of nature was viewed only as the supplier of natural resources and it was felt that even if the natural capital is depleted with technological innovations, natural capital can be easily substitute by man made capital. According to this view the only limit to growth is technology and since new technology can always be developed so there is no limit to growth