1. The Complex World
Victoria Robinson

2. What is Sustainable Development?
Brundtland Commission's landmark definition, 1987: Sustainable development is “that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

3. Definition components
Concept of “needs” - in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
Idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs.

4. Environmental protection
The three pillars
Sustainability
Environmental protection
Social equality
Economic growth

5. Social Sustainability
The ability of a social system, such as a country, community, family, or organisation, to function at a defined level of social well being indefinitely.
Issues: war, endemic
poverty, widespread injustice
& low education rates =
socially unsustainable
*Definition from Thwink.org

6. Environmental Sustainability
The world’s greatest ACTUAL problem:
The ability of the environment to support a defined level of environmental quality and natural resource extraction rates indefinitely.
Effects not felt straight away – lower priority
Become more important in the last 20 years
USA & Europe are increasing use of
renewable energy sources
*Definition from Thwink.org

7. Economic Sustainability
Since the Great Recession of 2008 this is the world's greatest APPARENT problem:
The ability of an economy to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely
Can endanger progress on the
environmental sustainability
problem.
*Definition from Thwink.org

8. Elements of Sustainability
Environmental
Economic
Social
= SUSTAINABLE
Bearable
Viable
Equitable
Goodland, Robert “The Concept of Environmental Sustainability.” Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 26: 1-24

9. Environmental limits?
Environmental
Social
Economic

10. The Transition Generation
Dr James Martin’s book: The Meaning of the 21st Century
“This could be humanity's last century, or it could be the century in which civilization sets sail towards a far more spectacular future. Decisions that will lead to these wildly different conclusions have to be made soon. They depend upon our being able to understand the options of the 21st century, think logically about our future, and collectively take rational action.”
“We live on a small, beautiful and totally isolated planet, but its population is becoming too large, and growing rapidly in its desire to consume products that need resources beyond what the earth can provide. Technology is becoming powerful enough to wreck the planet. We are traveling at breakneck speed into an age of extremes - extremes in wealth and poverty, extremes in technology and the experiments that scientists want to perform, extreme forces of globalism, weapons of mass destruction and terrorists acting in the name of religion. If we are to survive decently, we have to learn how to manage this situation.”

11. Mega-problems Climate Change / Global Warming Population growth
Biodiversity loss
Pollution
Weakened terrestrial systems
Water supply
Poverty
Inequality
Debt
Conflict
Pandemics

12. What next? Preparatory materials Think and research
Facilitation session
What is your definition?
Scales:
International
National
Local
Personal