“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”
Anonymous
The Earth is one of the most unique planets – it is the only one we know of that is capable of supporting life and provides us with so many resources. However, due to rapid human consumption, our biodiversity is at risk, and our resources will not last beyond this century unless we practice sustainable development. By doing this, we can enjoy the resources on this planet while allowing future generations to enjoy it just the same.
The evolution of sustainable development
The first concept of sustainable development came from the ideas of sustainable forest management in the 17th and 18th centuries and was quite limited in its scope. The main focus back then was to increase tree and forest cover as a means to avoid the over-exploitation of natural resources. With the world becoming increasingly industrialised, our understanding and articulation of this term has also improved.
The modern definition of sustainable development comes from the Brundtland Report, which was released in 1987 by the UN. This is how it was defined:
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains two key concepts within it:
The concept of 'needs', in particular, the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs.
Since this report, our understanding of this term and what it constitutes has only expanded. Currently, it is widely accepted that sustainable development is supported by a few factors. Let’s look at what they are.
The pillars of sustainability
The structural basis of every building is determined by the integrity of its pillars. Strong pillars can support the weight of the building, while weak pillars crumble easily. It is also important that each of these pillars are strong – even one weak pillar can compromise the integrity of the entire building.
It is the same case for sustainable development. There are multiple ‘pillars’ that each supports a distinct aspect of sustainable development, and all of them need to be nurtured for this to happen.
The initial three pillars of sustainability included the environmental, economic, and social factors. However, as our understanding of sustainable development has evolved, so has the need to broaden the definition of what comprises sustainable development. It was for this reason that a fourth pillar, the cultural factor, was introduced.
The four pillars of sustainable development include:
Environmental sustainability, as the name suggests, focuses mainly on the well-being of our environment and biodiversity. Management and preservation of our natural resources, assessment of the carbon footprint (of individuals and organisations), and air and water quality are all aspects that are covered under this.
Economic sustainability focuses on the financial prosperity of people, corporates, and governments without compromising on the environment. It is all about ensuring the prosperity of those living currently without harming the prospects of future generations. Developing energy-efficient products, reducing consumption, and helping environmentally friendly companies can help profits and the economy along with the environment.
Social sustainability focuses on the empowerment of individuals in society. This includes aspects such as ensuring a liveable wage, access to healthcare, and gender parity. However, it doesn’t end there. This pillar also helps us look at the most marginalised sections of society to ensure they are uplifted with the rest. Therefore, this pillar also supports social justice efforts, care for the disabled, welfare programs, and social acceptance programs for those who need them.
Cultural sustainability is the newest addition to this list. By considering this aspect, we can focus on sustainable development while being respectful of the various cultures involved. In fact, most cultures have some sustainable practices that can be adopted even in the modern era. By inspecting the issues of sustainable development through the cultural lens, we can drive the other three aspects successfully.
Evolution of the Sustainable Development Goals
While the concept of sustainable development has been around for a while, there has been a strong need to define targets or goals to define them. After all, how else can progress be measured?
At the turn of the 21st century, there was a strong call to action to set these goals. This was done at the Millennium Summit (2000), which laid out a set of eight goals (The Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs) that were to be achieved by 2015. While there was some progress towards these goals, many critics found them lacking. One common criticism of these goals was that there wasn’t a clear reason why those particular goals were chosen and that the way to measure the progress on these goals was unclear.
As these challenges became more apparent and the deadline of 2015 approached, the looming question was: What next? Clearly, this was not just a problem of insufficient deadlines; the goals themselves were the subject of criticism. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born as a result of this discussion.
What are the SDGs?
Instituted in 2015, the SDGs are a set of 17 interlinked goals that are meant to be achieved by 2030. To make them more actionable, each goal has a specific set of targets (a total of 169 targets) and indicators that can be used to measure their progress. The SDGs are not just to preserve or bring back what has been lost in the past but also to bring about a more modernised, equitable world for all. They include:
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
Goal 10: Reduce income equality within and among countries.
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy.
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
The SDGs are not perfect – many have criticised them for being too contradictory or too numerous. Despite these criticisms (some of which are valid), it is important to remember that the SDGs are currently the best way for us to achieve sustainable development. As long as the SDGs are used to create a positive change in our habits, it could be worth it, even if we don’t hit all the targets by 2030.
geekygirldawn
commented
2 years ago
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”
Anonymous
The Earth is one of the most unique planets – it is the only one we know of that is capable of supporting life and provides us with so many resources. However, due to rapid human consumption, our biodiversity is at risk, and our resources will not last beyond this century unless we practice sustainable development. By doing this, we can enjoy the resources on this planet while allowing future generations to enjoy it just the same.
The evolution of sustainable development
The first concept of sustainable development came from the ideas of sustainable forest management in the 17th and 18th centuries and was quite limited in its scope. The main focus back then was to increase tree and forest cover as a means to avoid the over-exploitation of natural resources. With the world becoming increasingly industrialised, our understanding and articulation of this term has also improved.
The modern definition of sustainable development comes from the Brundtland Report, which was released in 1987 by the UN. This is how it was defined:
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains two key concepts within it:
The concept of 'needs', in particular, the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs.
Since this report, our understanding of this term and what it constitutes has only expanded. Currently, it is widely accepted that sustainable development is supported by a few factors. Let’s look at what they are.
The pillars of sustainability
The structural basis of every building is determined by the integrity of its pillars. Strong pillars can support the weight of the building, while weak pillars crumble easily. It is also important that each of these pillars are strong – even one weak pillar can compromise the integrity of the entire building.
It is the same case for sustainable development. There are multiple ‘pillars’ that each supports a distinct aspect of sustainable development, and all of them need to be nurtured for this to happen.
The initial three pillars of sustainability included the environmental, economic, and social factors. However, as our understanding of sustainable development has evolved, so has the need to broaden the definition of what comprises sustainable development. It was for this reason that a fourth pillar, the cultural factor, was introduced.
The four pillars of sustainable development include:
Environmental sustainability, as the name suggests, focuses mainly on the well-being of our environment and biodiversity. Management and preservation of our natural resources, assessment of the carbon footprint (of individuals and organisations), and air and water quality are all aspects that are covered under this.
Economic sustainability focuses on the financial prosperity of people, corporates, and governments without compromising on the environment. It is all about ensuring the prosperity of those living currently without harming the prospects of future generations. Developing energy-efficient products, reducing consumption, and helping environmentally friendly companies can help profits and the economy along with the environment.
Social sustainability focuses on the empowerment of individuals in society. This includes aspects such as ensuring a liveable wage, access to healthcare, and gender parity. However, it doesn’t end there. This pillar also helps us look at the most marginalised sections of society to ensure they are uplifted with the rest. Therefore, this pillar also supports social justice efforts, care for the disabled, welfare programs, and social acceptance programs for those who need them.
Cultural sustainability is the newest addition to this list. By considering this aspect, we can focus on sustainable development while being respectful of the various cultures involved. In fact, most cultures have some sustainable practices that can be adopted even in the modern era. By inspecting the issues of sustainable development through the cultural lens, we can drive the other three aspects successfully.
Evolution of the Sustainable Development Goals While the concept of sustainable development has been around for a while, there has been a strong need to define targets or goals to define them. After all, how else can progress be measured?
At the turn of the 21st century, there was a strong call to action to set these goals. This was done at the Millennium Summit (2000), which laid out a set of eight goals (The Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs) that were to be achieved by 2015. While there was some progress towards these goals, many critics found them lacking. One common criticism of these goals was that there wasn’t a clear reason why those particular goals were chosen and that the way to measure the progress on these goals was unclear.
As these challenges became more apparent and the deadline of 2015 approached, the looming question was: What next? Clearly, this was not just a problem of insufficient deadlines; the goals themselves were the subject of criticism. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born as a result of this discussion.
What are the SDGs?
Instituted in 2015, the SDGs are a set of 17 interlinked goals that are meant to be achieved by 2030. To make them more actionable, each goal has a specific set of targets (a total of 169 targets) and indicators that can be used to measure their progress. The SDGs are not just to preserve or bring back what has been lost in the past but also to bring about a more modernised, equitable world for all. They include:
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
Goal 10: Reduce income equality within and among countries.
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy.
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
The SDGs are not perfect – many have criticised them for being too contradictory or too numerous. Despite these criticisms (some of which are valid), it is important to remember that the SDGs are currently the best way for us to achieve sustainable development. As long as the SDGs are used to create a positive change in our habits, it could be worth it, even if we don’t hit all the targets by 2030.