Ecological approaches to sustainability

the great acceleration

• historical trends show a steep increase in different indicators related to social systems and Earth systems

• indicators: population, real GDP, methane, carbon dioxide

the nature of ecological lenses

• progress indicators

• approaches for sustainable organising

• sustainability innovation concepts

• social science and indigenous contributions

• critiques of growth

progress indicators

• measuring and assessing progress on sustainability

• examples; SDGs, planetary boundaries, doughnut economics, net zero

planetary boundaries

• a set of interconnected science-based indicators aiming to determine a safe operating space for humanity

• key ecological challenges: climate change, biosphere integrity, land-system change, freshwater use, biogeochemical flows, ocean acidification, atmospheric aerosol loading, stratospheric ozone depletion, novel entities

• inform our understanding of businesses’ environmental impacts

net zero

balancing greenhouse gas emissions released into and removed from the atmosphere

• reducing and removing GHG emissions specifically carbon dioxide

• pledges by countries, cities and businesses

Limitations of net zero:

• reliance on offsetting

  • low standards and greenwashing

  • shifting responsibility to others

  • postponing emission reductions

  • equity concerns

• technology optimism but uncertainty

alternative knowledge systems

place-based and relational ecological approaches to sustainability