Sustainability S1

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering planetary boundaries, socio-economic issues, sustainability models, and economic measurement indicators based on lecture notes.

Hockey stick GDP per capita

Barely no growth for most of history, growth from 1800 (mechanisation, manufacturing, tech), strong from 1950 (low-cost energy), rich countries high growth, poor countries still low

The 9 planetary boundaries

Novel entities, stratospheric ozone depletion, atmospheric aerosol loading, ocean acidification, biochemical flows, freshwater use, land-system change, biosphere integrity, climate change

Planetary boundaries crossed as of 2025

7 of 9 crossed (all except stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol loading)

Novel entities (boundary)

Synthetic chemicals, plastics, persistence

Stratospheric ozone depletion (boundary)

UV radiation, ozone layer

Atmosphere aerosol loading (boundary)

Particulate matter, air pollution

Ocean acidification (boundary)

pH, CO2 absorption

Biochemical flows (boundary)

Nitrogen, phosphorus

Freshwater use (boundary)

Blue water (rivers/lakes), green water (soil moisture)

Land-system change (boundary)

Deforestation, land conversion

Biosphere integrity (boundary)

Genetic diversity, functional diversity, extinction rate

Climate change (boundary)

CO2 concentration, radiative forcing

Top CO2 emitters 1850-2021 (order)

China, USA, EU, India, Russia, Japan

Source of top CO2 emissions

Burning fossil fuels, flaring, cement production

World population 2086 projection

10.43 billion

World population growth - major issue

Overconsumption pressure on resources (fossil)

World population growth - other trend

Ageing accelerates

People unsure of access to fresh water

2.1 billion

People who walk 30 min to fetch water

263 million

People drinking unsafe surface water

159 million

People lacking basic freshwater services

844 million

People lacking safe sanitation

4.2 billion

People lacking handwashing facilities at home (COVID)

3 billion

Health care facilities lacking soap+water+hand rub

2 in 5

People potentially displaced by water scarcity by 2030

700 million

Causes of hunger

Armed conflict, economic crisis, climate change, structural failure, unequal agri/food system

People at risk of hunger by 2030

600+ million (Hunger 0 objective menaced)

Extreme poverty line

$2.15/day, 712 million below it

Poverty trend since 1990

Declined rapidly

Middle-class poverty line

$3.65/day

Upper-class poverty line

$6.85/day

Top 1% share of world income

27%

Inequality and mortality

1 death every 4 seconds linked to inequality

252 richest men vs. women wealth

More wealth than 1 billion women in Africa + Latin America

Top 1% vs bottom 50% wealth capture since 1995

Top 1% captured 20x more than bottom 50%

Wealth of 10 richest men (recent trend)

Doubled

Bottom 50% income share trend

Stays low

HD inequality - high HD countries, born 2000

55% higher ed, 44% not, 1% died before 20

HD inequality - low HD countries, born 2000

3% higher ed, 80% not, 17% died before 20

Top 5 public debt countries

Greece, Italy, USA, France, Spain

Tension - environment side

Planetary boundaries exceeded, climate/biodiversity/water/soil, ecological instability risk

Tension - society/economy side

Persistent poverty, growing inequalities, limited access to water/healthcare, high public debt

Tension between...

Environmental sustainability and social justice

SDGs wedding cake - layers (bottom to top)

Biosphere, Society, Economy

SDGs wedding cake - connecting element

SDG 17 (Partnerships), central axis

3 pillars of sustainability

Environment, economy, social

Strong sustainability - pillars

Not interchangeable, must respect planetary boundaries, can't offset environmental damage with economic gain

Capital stock model - SD linked to

Economic income (max consumable without reducing future capacity) + wealth (stock of capital = opportunities)

Capital stock formula

C sustainability = C economic + C social + C natural

SD respected when (capital model)

Can live off interest long-term without reducing capital stock

Weak sustainability - definition

Compensate losses with gains elsewhere, total capital stock unchanged

Weak sustainability - logic

Substitution logic + monetary valuation of environmental losses

Weak sustainability - example quote

"Destroy a forest but plant trees elsewhere = OK"

Strong sustainability (model interpretation) - definition

Preserve stock of each capital form intact

Strong sustainability (model interpretation) - logic

Complementarity logic + precautionary principle, no monetary valuation needed

Strong sustainability - example quote

"An extinct species cannot be replaced"

GDP - definition

Value of all final goods/services produced in a region over a period

GDP growth rate - definition

Rate of variation between GDP at start and end of period

GDP limitations (well-being)

Only market value, excludes non-market goods, quantity not quality, ignores national heritage, no info on wealth distribution, ignores factor mobility

Current considerations for new indicators

Not only monetary, not just general level, account for inequalities (vertical/horizontal), account for environmental impact

Vertical inequality

Between top and bottom of social classes

Horizontal inequality

Between groups in society (e.g. men/women)

HDI - created by/when

UNDP, 1990

HDI - 3 dimensions

Life expectancy at birth, schooling level, income (GNI per capita)

HDI - main critics

Nothing on environment, life expectancy ≠ healthy life expectancy, too close to GDP per capita

HDI - 2020 status change

Became experimental index

Green GDP - created by/when

UN, 1993

Green GDP - purpose

Adjust GDP for natural resource exploitation + pollution

Green GDP - "formula"

GDP growth + adjustment for pollution abatement = pollution-adjusted GDP growth

GNH - created by/when

Bhutanese government, 2008

GNH - 9 areas

Psychological well-being, use of time, community vitality, cultural diversity, ecological resilience, standard of living, health, education, good governance

GNH - main critic

Self-reported satisfaction (subjective)

UN SDGs - created/indicators

2016, 169 indicators, 17 goals

UN SDGs - main limits

Data quality, too many indicators, no hierarchy, no monetary/financial stability notion

MONET 2020 - what

CH sustainable development monitoring since 2003

MONET 2020 - indicators

103, covering 3 SD dimensions

MONET 2020 - 3 objectives

Social solidarity, economic efficiency, ecological responsibility

World Happiness Report - created by

UN

World Happiness Report - 6 variables

Income, freedom, confidence in government, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity

World Happiness Report - coverage

150 countries

World Happiness Report 2023 - top 5

Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Netherlands

CH Measuring well-being system - since

2014

CH Measuring well-being system - indicators

40, across society, environment, economy

Ecological Footprint - since/by whom

2003, Global Footprint Network

Ecological Footprint - measures

Human demand on biosphere (land/water for resources used)

Ecological Footprint - sustainability check

Compare footprint (demand) vs. biocapacity (supply)

Green economy - definition

Bridges economy and environment, respects resource limits + regenerative capacity of renewables

Green economy - aim

Improve resource efficiency, boost economic performance and well-being

Green growth - definition

Growth ensuring natural assets keep providing services for well-being

Green growth - status vs SD

Not a substitute for SD, but contributes to it

Green growth - social cohesion

Considered but not central objective

Green growth - critics

Unchanged growth model, insufficient decoupling, structural limits (rebound, outsourcing, limited recycling), insufficient alone (needs sufficiency/sobriety)

Circular economy (ISO 59'004) - definition

Systemic approach maintaining circular flow of resources (recover, retain, add value)

Circular economy - resources viewed as

Stocks and flows

Circular economy loop - main stages

Raw material processing → Design & production → Distribution → Consumption & use → Recycling & collection → back to raw material

Circular economy - inner loop

Share, reuse, repair, remanufacture/refurbish

Circular economy - inputs

Renewable resources, non-renewable resources, natural cycles

Circular economy - outputs/losses

Incineration & landfill, composting & anaerobic digestion

Linear vs circular economy

Linear = take-make-use-dispose (one-way), circular = resources kept in use via reuse/repair/recycling

Regenerative economy - origin

Agricultural practices that regenerate soils