ESS Standard Topic 1.3

Environmental Justice

What are worldwide Inequalities caused by?

Disparities in access to water, food, energy due to discrimination on the basis of race, gender, income or cultural identity

What is an example of an event that caused more inequalities.

The Covid-19 pandemic where in 2020 1% of the global population gained about 2/3 of all new global wealth.

What is Economic inequality caused by?

A positive feedback loop of wealth and income.

• Those in positions of political power will support legislation that supports their financial interests making the poor poorer and the rich richer. (Regulatory Capture/State Political capture)

Environmental Justice

The right of all people to live in a pollution free environment and to have equitable access to natural resources regardless of issues such as race gender, socioeconomic status or nationality.

What do you need to ensure to have environmental Justice?

• ensure equitable access to resources

• Pursue fair environmental policies

• Reduce disparities in environmental impact from sustainable economic activities.

What can reduce access to resources?

• Discrimination

• Privatisation

• Conflict

What often contributes to biodiversity loss

Overconsumption from HICs

What has faster rates of development relied on Historically?

Colonisation, exploitation and enslavement of the global south.

What is the dilemma with Environmental policies and interventions.

They can disproportionally effect vulnerable communities

E.g.

Poorer people who rely on cars for transport (Petrol taxes in France)

Renewable energy initiative, hydroelectric damns ( Displacing large groups of people and communities.

Sustainable Devlopmemnt

Aims to balance economic, social and environmental factors to meet current needs without compromising future generations

1987 Brundtland Report

Highlighted the importance of collective action to address global challenges and ensure a sustainable future including the social and economic dimensions of sustainability.

• Lead to the Earth Summit (1992), Agenda 21 (plan) and the Rio Declaration

GDP (Gross domestic product)

A measure of the monetary value of final goods and services produced and sold in a given period by a country. (Neglects the value of natural systems)

Green GDP

Measures environmental costs and subtracts these from GDP

Sustainability Indicators

• Biodiversity

• Pollution levels

• Human population size

• Energy production and consumption

• Human population size, health and income

• Climate Change

• Ecological and carbon footprint

Biocapacity

an estimate of its production of certain biological materials such as natural resources, and its absorption and filtering of other materials such as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Human Development Index (HDI)

• Health (life expectancy)

• Education)

• Standard of living (Gross National income per capita)

The Higher the score 0-1 the better the development

0.800+ very high

0.700-0.799 high

0.550-0.699 medium

<0.550 low

Planetary Pressures-adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI)

Considers carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint per person along with human development data.

Gini Coefficient

A measure of income inequality in a population

• 1 - perfect inequality

• 0 - perfect equality

PM2.5 (Pollution particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less)

Measures Pollution

Extinctions per million species years (E/MSY)

Measures Biodiversity

The natural estimated extinction rate is between 0.1 and 1 E/MSY But it is currently 100s to 1000s times higher.

Ecological footprint

The area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate of consumption and to absorb all generated waste at the rate of production for a specific population

Carrying Capacity

The max number of individuals of a species that the environment can sustainably support.

Biocapacity

The capacity of a given biologically productive area to generate an ongoing supply of renewable resources and to absorb its resulting waste

What does the Global Footprint Network tate?

The average ecological footprint per person in 2.6gha

The Earths biocapacity is 1.6 gha per person

We need 1.7 planets to meet global demands

Carbon Footprint

Measures the amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide produced measured in CO2 equivalents (tonnes)

What is the global average carbon footprint?

4 tonnes annually.

Higher GDP correlates with larger carbon footprints.

Water footprint

Measures water use in cubic metres per year

Why are their landfills in Italy?

• Lack of waste management infrastructure

• Organised crime

• Illegal waste trafficking

• Large population producing non recyclable trash

• tourism

What can be done to reduce these landfills in Italy?

• Construction of a state of the art incinerator in Rome

• Exporting waste to Amsterdam for processing

Bhopal Disaster

Numerous safety issues caused gas leaks at a pesticide production plant (sevin (carbaryl) and methyl isocyanate)

What did the Bhopal disaster result in?

• caused choking

• circulatory disease

• pulmonary disease for 5,000-25,000 local residents

(Compensation of $470 million in 1989)

There are still toxic chemicals in the groundwater to this day

What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

They a universal call to action from the United Nations in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

For each SDG there are targets and indicators

What are some statistics to do with the SDG?

12% of countries are on track

50% moderately or severely off track

30% no progress or worsened since 2015

How can progress be hindered regarding the SDGs?

LICs will struggle with the cost, greater priorities at their stage of development.

Global pandemics e.g Covid 19

Conflict e.g. Russo-Ukrainian War

Climate/Natural Disasters

What should HICs do to aid LICs in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals?

They could deliver funding, technology and investments as well as support social and environmental justice in those countries.

What are the Values of the SDG?

Common Ground - There are common goals, targets, indicators, language that makes it easier for countries to follow and collaborate on.

Universal - The goals, targets and indicators apply to all countries in the UN

Ambition - The first time socio-ecological goals have been set globally, It’s slow progress shows ambition

Data - with data you can measure progress

What are the Limitations of the SDG?

Silos - They do not support a systems approach to fixing universal issues. The Environmental, Economic and Social factors are not clearly connected.

Lack of Context - Different Countries would be in different circumstances

Ambition -

Data - It could be inaccurate, subjective or not adequately measured. The data could also fail to take into account HICs contribution to climate change via CO2 Emissions.

Planetary boundaries Model

A scientific framework that defines the environmental limits in which humanity can safely operate while maintain the Earths Systems

Limitations of the Planetary boundaries model

Data Incomplete - The model is still a work in progress so data needed to measure it could be incorrect.

Ignores social foundations- Doesn’t consider human needs and societies

Local Usefulness - The global oriented data may be less useful to guide local countries specific needs

Successes of the Planetary boundaries model

Important Data- The model identifies science-based limits to human disturbance of the Earths systems

Focus on Complex Systems - The model helps to focus on more Earth systems than just climate seeing their interactions

Guides Action - Data is useful for policy makers to develop strategies for limiting human disruption to Earth Systems.

Planetary Boundaries:

• Climate Change - Human induced alteration of Earth’s Climate system

• Biosphere Integrity - The reduction in Earth’s variety of life due to human activity

• Land System Change- The conversion of natural ecosystems into urban, agricultural and industrial areas

• Biogeochemical Flows - The disruption of natural nutrient cycles due to agricultural and industrial

• Ocean Acidification - The lowering of pH levels due to increased carbon dioxide absorption by oceans

• Stratospheric Ozone Depletion - The thinning of Earth ozone layer due to human-made chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

• Chemical pollution - The release of synthetic chemicals into the environment

• Fresh water use - The release of synthetic chemicals into the environment

• Atmospheric aerosol loading - The emission of particulate matter and aerosols into the atmosphere.

Doughnut Economics model

Represents a balanced economy that is ecologically safe and socially just. Ensuring basic needs are met without exceeding ecological limits.

What does the Doughnut Economics model incorporate?

The Planetary Boundaries model (The outer ring of environmental initatives) and the Sustainabile development goals. (The inner rings are about managing society and th economy)

Limitations of the Doughnut Economic model

Difficult paradigm shirft - the model regects the goal of economic growth: shifting world views on that has been difficult.

Broad - disagreement emerge around concrete policies that achieve that.

Developing - Some questions about the models application

Successes of the Doughnut Economic model

Environmental Justice - includes both social and environmental domains

Populartity - wide following globally

Developing - the model applied to cities buisnesses and governments.

Regenative Economy

Respects natural cycles and limits, shifting from linear make, take, waste model to restore ecosytems.

Distributive Economy

Seeks to reduce economic inequality snd Enhance sustainability by equitable sharing.

Linear Economy

The concept of taking raw materials to make products but then disposing of them once they reached a point where they can’t be used

Circular Economy

Attempts to Eliminate waste and pollution by using having products being remade once it stops working into new products and re distributed.

Limitations of a Circular Economy

• Lack of Business Awareness

• Business cost

• Lack of government laws

• Pollution contributes to redesign

Uses of a Circular Economy

• Adheres to natures principles

• Less CO2 emissions

• Less pollution due to less waste

• Extracting fewer natural resources