Sustainability

Planetary boundaries

nine Earth-system processes that define a safe operating space for humanity; crossing them risks irreversible environmental change.

Regeneration goes beyond sustainability

it means actively restoring natural systems rather than just limiting damage to them.

The Great Acceleration

dramatic, simultaneous surge in human activity and Earth-system change that began around 1950

Sustainability 1.0

treats sustainability as a balance between economy, society, and environment (the three-legged stool)

3 legged stool, Overlapping circles model

Economy, Social equity, Environment. The overlapping circles model shows the same three as intersecting domains where sustainability lies at the intersection.

Sustainability 2.0

recognizes that the economy exists within society, which exists within the environment — they are nested, not equal

Fundamental human needs (Max-Neef)

not only material things you have — they include being, doing, and interacting.

Iceberg Model

visible events are driven by underlying patterns of behavior, systemic structures, and mental models — to create change you must address the deeper levels, not just the symptoms.

Systems thinking

Connections > Individual parts

🧠 Memory: "Relationships over pieces."

SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

17 UN goals (2015) → People + Planet + Prosperity+ Peace+ Partnership by 2030

Donut Economy

Middle safe zone between:

• Social foundation ↓

• Ecological ceiling ↑

🧠 Memory: Human needs inside, planet limits outside.

Multi-Level Perspective

Transition theory

• Landscape = culture, climate, politics

• Regime = dominant system, institutions

• Niche = innovation

1. "Business as Usual" (BAU) 3 futures

progress continues thru growth and tech

The big unravelling

economic decline thru climate chaos, war

The great turning

transform toward sustainability

Intragenerational Justice

fairness between people living today

Intergenerational Justice

fairness between present and future generations

Unequal participation

Marginalized groups excluded from decisions

Unequal Recognition

A: Knowledge and identities ignored.

not heard

Invisible Hand

Adam Smith?

A: Self-interest → Public good

Karl Marx

capitalism destroys environment, human depends on nature

Jevons paradox

increase in efficiency, consumption increases(rebound effect)

Pigouvian tax

tax pollution to make polluters pay for damage

Hotellings rule

exhaustible resource (like oil or coal)

Conspicuous consumption

Thorsten veblen- people consume for status

Environmental Economics

based on neoclassical

capital that can be substituted by human-made capital; it uses market-based tools (taxes, permits) to correct externalities while keeping growth as the goal.

Ecological economics

• Economy inside biosphere

• Growth questioned

• Planet limits matter

🧠 Memory: Planet > Economy

Degrowth

Planned reduction of production and consumption. Less stuff → Better life (challenges capitalism)

POst growth

Economy without GDP obsession.

focus on wellbeing, reforms

GDP limitations

bad measures of

• Inequality

• Unpaid work

• Environment

• Wellbeing

• Social cohesion

UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)

Main climate treaty.

🧠 Memory: Rio 1992

The Paris Agreement (2015)

• <2°C (aim 1.5°C)

• Nationally Determined Contributions(climate targets)

• Climate finance

European Green Deal

EU's strategy to become climate-neutral by 2050 by transforming its economy across energy, transport, food, buildings, and industry.

Boulding's "Spaceship Earth" (1966)

Earth is closed + finite resources

Cascading

using a material thru cycles like circular

Thermodynamic limits

perfect circular economy is physically impossible: energy degrades and cannot be recycled (entropy)

The ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation)

extends ecodesign requirements from energy-related products to nearly all product categories

Digital Product Passport (DPP)

key tool of ESPR product containing sustainability data (materials, footprint, repairability)

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

producers are legally responsible for their products at end-of-life,

push-pull policy mix combines instruments

push the market with instruments that pull the market. Green Public Procurement amplifies both.

The R-strategies hierarchy from most to least circular

Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle (mechanical), Recycle (chemical)

CiLAB (Circular Textile Lab)

transition to circular textiles through research, repair, and rework

ESG reporting

corporate report of performance on Environmental, Social, and Governance factors

CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)

Mandatory sustainability reporting.

Double materiality

• Sustainability affects Company

• Company affects World

Omnibus regulation

EU simplification initiative that proposed reducing the burden of CSRD obligations

Due diligence

Identify → Prevent → Mitigate → Account and impact on environment

The CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)

requiring large companies to conduct mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence across their value chains.

Learning effects (Wright's Law)

More production → Lower costs

🧠 Memory: Double production = cheaper

LCOE (Levelised Cost of Energy)

Lifetime energy cost comparison.

Hydrogen's role in the future energy system

Store energy where electricity struggles.

The keystone

Small presence, huge impact.