IB ESS SL: 1.3: Sustainability Vocab

sustainability (1.3.1)

measure of the extent of human activities allow for the long viability of a system

natural capital (1.3.1)

stock of natural resources Earth— rocks, soil, water, air, and all living things and processes

natural income (1.3.1)

yield/harvest from natural resources

environmental sustainability (1.3.3)

use and management of natural resources that allowed replacement of the resources, and the recovery and regeneration of ecosystems

social sustainability (1.3.4)

focus on creating the structures and systems that support human well-being

economic sustainability (1.3.5)

focus on creating economic structures and systems to support production and consumption of goods and services that will support humans needs into the future

sustainable development (1.3.6)

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

ecosystem collapse (1.3.7)

occurs when the delicate balance of an ecosystem is disrupted, leading to a rapid decline in its health and functionality

gross domestic product (GDP) (1.3.8)

the total value of goods and services produced by a country over a period of time

green GDP (1.3.8)

an indicator of economic growth with environmental factors taken into accounts alongside the standard GDP of a country— biodiversity losses and climate change costs

environmental Justice (1.3.9)

right of all people to

• live in a safe, pollution free environment

• have access to natural resources

  • fair treatment through laws and regulations

ecological footprint (EF) (1.3.13)

area of land and water required at the rate of consumption and waste production by a given populations

carbon footprint (1.3.14)

amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in CO2 equivalents

water footprint (1.3.14)

measure of water use

biocapacity (1.3.15)

the capacity of a biologically productive area to generate a supply of renewable resources and to absorb its waste

citizen science (1.3.16)

public participation and collaboration in scientific research with the aim to increase scientific knowledge

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (1.3.18)

17 goals formulated by the UN in 2015 which run until 2030 or beyond and are assessed each year to work towards a sustainable and maintain a sustainable globe

planetary boundaries model (1.3.19)

proposed boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come— crossing these increase risk of large scale environmental changes

doughnut economics model (1.3.20)

framework for creating a regenerative and distributive economy that meets the needs of all people within the means of the planet

regenerative economy (1.3.20)

products/services contribute to systems that renew or replenish themselves

distributive economy (1.3.20)

designing human activities in ways that they share the value from the start, instead redistributing it afterwards

circular economy (1.3.21)

eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (At their highest value), regenerate capital