Sustainability and Climate Change - Vocabulary Flashcards
Learning outcomes: System Thinking: How elements interconnect and work? This involves understanding complex relationships and feedback loops within various systems, whether ecological, economic, or social.
Course code: EOSE10 - Economy and Society: Global Sustainability
Lecture 1: Introductory lecture
Definition of sustainability- There is no single concrete definition, largely due to its multidisciplinary nature and evolving understanding across different contexts and stakeholders.
Broad use: initiatives and actions aimed at resource preservation for future generations and maintaining ecosystem health.
Four distinct areas (the four pillars): environmental, economic, social, and human dimensions. These pillars highlight the interconnectedness of different aspects of well-being and planetary health.
Environmental: Focuses on natural resource protection, ecosystem integrity, biodiversity, and reducing pollution.
Economic: Addresses sustainable economic growth, equitable distribution of wealth, and efficient resource use without depleting natural capital.
Social: Encompasses social equity, human rights, community well-being, access to basic necessities, and cultural diversity.
Human: Often integrated within social, but can specifically refer to individual health, education, and personal development.
Often, the environment is under-emphasized in economics discussions, leading to externalized environmental costs and short-term economic gains at the expense of long-term planetary health.
Knowledge and understanding aims- Understand preconditions and trade-offs between economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This involves recognizing that improvements in one area may come with costs or benefits in others.
Understand theoretical underpinnings behind linkages between economics and sustainable development, exploring concepts like natural capital accounting and ecological economics.
Understand socio-ecological systems and their implications, recognizing humans as part of, not separate from, natural systems.
Systems are everywhere: - Goals, Boundaries, Dynamics. Understanding these components helps in analyzing how systems function and identifying points of intervention.
Goals: The purpose or desired outcomes a system aims to achieve.
Boundaries: The limits that define what is inside and outside the system, influencing its interactions.
Dynamics: The ongoing changes, feedback loops, and interactions within the system over time.
Examples of systems:- (1) Human body, (2) Forests, (3) A city
Most Important readings
From Linear to Non-Linear thinking: This concept stresses the importance of understanding complex feedback loops and emergent properties in systems, moving beyond simple cause-and-effect relationships.
Brundtland Report (Our Common Future) – 1987, World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland. This seminal report introduced the widely accepted definition of sustainable development.
Related foundational works and updates cited:
Rockström et al. (2024). Planetary Boundaries guide humanity’s future on Earth. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 5(11), 773-788. This work updates the framework for Earth's critical biophysical thresholds.
Dasgupta, The Economics of Biodiversity (Dasgupta Review). This review highlights the economic dependence on nature and calls for integrating biodiversity values into economic decision-making.
Steffen, W. (2021). The Earth system, the great acceleration, and the Anthropocene. In Sustainability and the new economics: Synthesising ecological economics and modern monetary theory (pp. 15-32). Springer. This chapter details human impact on Earth's systems over time.
Conceptual point: If the Earth’s temperature rises, sea ice area decreases; less reflective ice leads to more heat absorption and further warming. This is a classic example of a positive feedback loop within the Earth system, accelerating climate change.
Mandatory readings: Key Themes of the Brundtland Report
Brundtland Report: Core concepts and structure
Definition of sustainable development: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition underscores both intergenerational equity (future generations) and intragenerational equity (present needs, particularly of the poor).
Emphasizes balance among economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. This balance is crucial for creating long-term well-being and stability, ensuring that development is holistic and not at the expense of any single pillar.
Argues economic development and environmental conservation must go hand in hand, recognizing that environmental degradation ultimately undermines economic prosperity and social stability.
Critiques past development models that prioritized growth over environmental and social well-being, leading to unsustainable resource depletion and social inequalities.
Major concerns highlighted:
Overuse of natural resources (forests, water, fossil fuels, biodiversity) leading to depletion, habitat loss, and ecosystem degradation (e.g., deforestation contributing to soil erosion and loss of carbon sinks).
Pollution and climate change threatening ecosystems and human health, manifesting as air/water contamination, extreme weather events, and disease proliferation.
Need for economic policies that internalize environmental costs, meaning that the true cost of production, including environmental damage, should be reflected in market prices rather than borne by society or the environment.
Obstacles to sustainability:
Poverty and inequality in developing nations (resource scarcity, economic instability, social gaps) often force communities to exploit natural resources unsustainably for immediate survival, hindering long-term development.
Population growth pressures, especially in developing countries, can intensify demand on finite resources and increase waste generation if not managed sustainably.
Energy crisis: dependence on fossil fuels is unsustainable due to their finite nature and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions; there is an urgent need for renewables transition.
Unsustainable industrialization causing pollution, deforestation, excessive resource use, depleting natural capital for short-term economic gains.
Key recommendations:
Developed nations should assist developing nations with financial and technological support for sustainable practices, fostering a global partnership for common environmental goals.
International agreements on climate change, deforestation, pollution are necessary to avert global disasters, as environmental problems transcend national borders and require collective action.
Governments, businesses, and civil society must collaborate to balance growth with environmental responsibility, recognizing shared accountability for a sustainable future.
Brundtland policy solutions (examples):
Renewable Energy Transition: shift away from fossil fuels to solar, wind, hydro to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy security.
Efficient resource management: recycling, waste reduction, sustainable agriculture (e.g., organic farming, agroforestry) to minimize resource depletion and pollution.
Stronger environmental regulations: pollution control, biodiversity protection, deforestation prevention through legislation, protected areas, and enforcement.
Education and awareness: environmental education for responsible consumption and sustainable living, empowering individuals and communities to make informed choices.
Influence and policy impact:
Helped catalyze international agreements, laying the groundwork for major global environmental summits and protocols (e.g., Rio Earth Summit 1992, Kyoto Protocol 1997, Paris Agreement 2015, SDGs 2015).
Brundtland Report remains foundational for discussions on climate, resource management, and international cooperation, providing a enduring framework for sustainable development.
The Rockström (2024) Planetary Boundaries article (referenced here as ongoing/updated synthesis): an updated look at planetary thresholds- Nine Earth-system processes define a safe operating space for humanity; a “safe operating space” concept, highlighting critical biophysical limits.
Planetary Boundaries (2024 update) and Brundtland context
2024 Rockström update: planetary boundaries framework with nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system. These are a quantitative approach to defining a