Basics of Sustainability: Learn in Simple Language

“Our efforts towards the goal of Sustainable Development will also promote the integration of the 3 component of Sustainable Development– economic development, social development and environmental protection – as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars. These are overarching objectives- means influencing every part of it”.

-United Nations General Assembly –(UNGA), 2005 World Summit Outcome

These 3 are interrelated means they do not individually get affected, if any one of them is damaged. The effect will be seen in other elements as well.

Damage to economic element, will reflect in social and environmental elements as well. And the same is true for social and environmental elements as well.

Elkington's TBL framework helps to realize the goal of sustainability in business practices. Businesses look beyond profits to include environmental and social issues to measure the full cost of doing business.

But, It is difficult for businesses to balance all 3 elements simultaneously. Many experts have expressed that at minimum, you can have progress in two dimensions while third remains unaffected.

Therefore, we need to work around the deployment of the concept and truly essential requirements of social and environmental elements, rather than only short sighted accounting tool. These have to be implemented in true spirit at the larger scale and pace.

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of animals of one or more species that can be supported by a particular habitat or area through the most unfavorable period of the year.

The carrying capacity is different for each species in a habitat because of particular food, shelter, and social requirements and because of competition from other species that may have similar requirements. Attempts have been made to apply carrying capacity analysis to the human population in particular territories.

Relation to Sustainable Scale

The concept of carrying capacity is well rooted in biological science, and describes the rise and decline of plant and animal populations. It clarifies that there is a limit to the growth of any biological population, and identifies some of the parameters that determine the pattern of population rise and collapse. Additional layers of complexity occur for the human population in terms of the dynamics involved.

The Ecological Footprint is a measure of the demand human activity puts on the biosphere.

It measures the amount of biologically productive land and water area required to produce all the resources an individual, population, or activity consumes, and to absorb the waste they generate, given existing technology and resource management practices.

Ecological Footprint is measured in hectares denoted by (ha) or (Gha) global hectares

In this video, we will see how we can calculate our own ecological foot print with the help of Global Footprint Network's Online Calculator.

Please do calculate your own score after watching this video, and let me know it. Link for the calculator is given in the Resources section.

Ecological overshoot keeps growing. As a result, humanity is facing a ballooning ecological debt. Since our planet cannot be depleted forever, overshoot will eventually end. The question is whether this will happen by design or disaster.

So, how do we design our future? The beta version of this simple tool allows you to design possible futures by choosing key parameters that shape overshoot: how much biocapacity we will lose or gain over time, how much each of us will use, and how many of us there will be on the planet. You can also choose how quickly the change in consumption and family size may happen. What do your explorations reveal?

Use the global Footprint scenario tool to design possible futures by choosing key parameters that shape overshoot.

Now read the story to explore more about the importance of sustainability.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year. For the rest of the year, we are maintaining our ecological deficit by drawing down local resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We are operating in overshoot.

In 2020, Earth Overshoot Day landed on 22nd August. To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days that Earth’s biocapacity can provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint.

The Biocapacity is measured in Global hectares just like Ecological Footprint, so that we can compare both and reach to some conclusion.

There can be 2 scenarios:

1. Ecological Footprint is less than the Biocapacity: This is the ideal case we require. This would be a sustainable case of Ecological Surplus.

2. Ecological Footprint is greater than Biocapacity: This is the case of Ecological deficit, where our needs are far exceeded than the earth can support. We call it Overshoot scenario.

Please visit the website https://www.overshootday.org/ and check the latest information on the overshoot. Also, calculation report for 2022 and 2020 is provided for additional reading material. 

In the beginning, we will look into the basic information about Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding of the background will help us to know them in better way in the following lectures.

Let's learn the objectives of Sustainable Development. So that we will be able to understand its scope.

Sustainable development is a value-based concept that appeals to the universal theme of mutual coexistence and respect for others. It is a continually evolving process bringing together cultural, social, economic, environmental, and political concerns.

1. To maintain the standard of living of the largest number of people with equity and justice.

2. To conserve and protect the earth’s natural resources from misuse and wasteful consumption.

3. To innovate new technology and scientific techniques which work in unison with the laws of nature and not opposed to it.

4. To respect diversity and involve local and indigenous communities

5. To decentralize governance institutions and make them more resilient, transparent, and accountable to people. 6. To plan international institutions which recognize the requirements of poor nations and support them to achieve their growth targets

7. To seek peaceful coexistence of all nations of the world

After getting to know about SDGs in short, we will look into first five SDGs in details and try to think Why they are critical, What is the importance of this particular goal?

Please try to think on the questions raised at the end of each SDG video, which will let us appreciate its importance. 

After studying these first 5 SDGs, please have a look at all remaining SDGs through the resource provided in lecture 11 and attached 'Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015' below this video.

Understanding of the basics of all these goals is necessary to appreciate the work required to achieve the Sustainable world.

In this section we will analyse, What benefits a business can get, if it implements Sustainability initiatives that we looked at in all our previous lectures.

In short below are 11 benefits of being a sustainable business:

1. Reduced commodity usage

2. Reduced waste

3. Reduced Price risk

4. Enhanced Brand value:

5. Performance beyond compliance

6. Social License to operate

7. Fosters ethical working

8. Retain talent in company & attract most talented employees

9. Attract new customers – green awareness – premium price

10. Innovation and New Products

11. THE RIGHT THING TO DO

Action Guide for Environmentally Conscious Lifestyle: This small step by step action plan will be helpful to make some transition for a sustainable lifestyle. 

In this video, we will see what the 7 ways that can help fight climate change are.

1. Identify and Thwart Cognitive Biases That Stall Climate Action

2. Help People Align Their Environmental Values With Their Actions

3. Make It Easier to Make Climate-Friendly Choices

4. Instill a Sense of Urgency

5. Better Tailor the Messaging

6. Shift Social Norms to Motivate Good Behavior

7. Help People Feel Connected With Nature

More information about the 'Saturdays for Sustainability Learning'- Mastermind group for Sustainability Learning-

1. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWkyi7pnV8Vc70NodlEaDjp3jO8RP9y8q