Wong Yong Xuan

5A
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
A very good afternoon to the honourable judges and fellow friends. I am going to be speaking to
you today about “What is Sustainability?”. Sustainability means living according to our needs while
making sure that future generations can also have their needs met. Imagine that you live on an island
in the middle of the ocean with only a few trees on it. You need wood for staying warm, for food, for
cooking and having light. This is a classic example: if you cut down all the trees in one year, there
will be none next year, and none for future generations. Well, look around and see what is happening
in the world right now. It seems pretty far from sustainable. All metaphorical and literal trees are
being cut down way too quickly. So how can our complicated world become sustainable?
Let me introduce the three pillars of sustainability. They are environmental sustainability,
economic sustainability and social sustainability. Firstly, environmental sustainability means that all
of Earth’s environmental systems stay in balance. Human society is sustainable when the relationship
between humans and the rest of nature is such that our production and consumption rate allow the
Earth’s systems to replenish themselves and stay in balance. If all the trees on the island were cut at
once, it would severely impact and permanently damage the health of the ecosystem. Animals and
plants that were dependent on the trees would suffer, the soil would be more sensitive to drought and
erosion.
Secondly, economic sustainability is about where people and companies decide to invest and
spend their money. In the ideal world, we would have an economy where businesses value people
and the environment over profit, and make decisions based on values and not price. Of course, we
are not living in that ideal world, but we can begin to take steps to shift the way our economy makes
decisions with our own personal and collective choices. This kind of economic mentality forces
corporations to be held accountable for their actions because it will affect their profits and bottom
lines if we choose not to invest in them.
Lastly, social sustainability means everyone’s basic rights and necessities are met. On our island,
all people are treated equally, have equal opportunities, have equal say in what decisions are made
about their village. Social sustainability here means that decisions are made based on what will be
the greatest good for the people and the betterment of the island.
So, what does all this big stuff have to do with us? We might want to push this whole
sustainability thing even further by saying that personal wellbeing is a part of this. We need to make
sure that our worldviews are sustainable. Do our worldviews uphold a vision of a just and sustainable
world? What beliefs have we been conditioned into by our societies that maybe are not serving our
greater mission to transform ourselves and transform the world?
My dear friends, perfection will never be the goal but a willingness for personal transformation
will always be a part of the process. We as individuals are also a part of this big story of global
transformation so looking inwards is part of this mission. Choosing to not turn away from what is
going on takes courage, bravery and a whole lot of heart. But, where do we begin?
There are many different kinds of action and many ways of making a difference in the world. We
can start with the things we have most control over, that is our everyday choices and lifestyle.
Collectively, that has a huge impact. Then we may go in a thousand directions. There is no one path.
Finally, I understand that it can feel tough to know where to begin! There is no “right way” to be
a change-maker. Ultimately, it is about finding out what your passions are, where your skills are, and
what the world needs, and then figuring out how those intersect! Power to you! Thank you for your
attention.