ENVIRONMENTAL

PROBLEMS, THEIR
CAUSES AND
SUSTAINABILITY
Lesson 2
Week 4 - 5
What is Sustainability?
• Sustainability according to the 1987 United Nations
Brundtland Commission refers to “meeting the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of the
future generations to meet their own needs”.
• Sustainability is usually defined as the processes and
actions through which humankind avoids the depletion
of natural resources, in order to keep an ecological
balance that doesn’t allow the quality of life of modern
societies to decrease.
What is Sustainable Development?
• Sustainable development is the development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
• It means finding better ways of doing things, both for
the future and the present.
Three Pillars of Sustainability
• 1. Economy (profit)
• 2. Society (people)
• 3. Environment (planet)
Economic Sustainability
• This pillar is based on companies’ ability to contribute to
economic development and growth. In other words, they must
encourage and promote the protection of the environment by
limiting the risks posed by their production. The recycling of
products and the use of renewable energy are therefore
fundamental aspects of the development of the economic pillar.
• This pillar focuses on promoting economic growth, development,
and stability while ensuring that resources are used efficiently and
equitably. It includes aspects such as job creation, income
generation, and responsible consumption and production
Social Sustainability
• The social pillar of a company's sustainable development
refers to values that promote equality and respect for
individual rights. The social consequences of the
company's social activity are then assessed in accordance
to these issues, such as gender equality.
• This pillar focuses on promoting social justice, equity, and
human rights. It includes aspects such as education,
health, personal safety, and leisure.
The principles upon which
this pillar is founded are as
follows:
• Combat social exclusion and discrimination: helping with reintegration,
supporting gender equality, reducing the gender pay gap, promoting training,
encouraging dialogue, and applying global social rights. In other words, the
goal is to seek to aid the global population.
• Promote solidarity: helping to reduce social inequalities by collaborating
with local and international associations and projects, and prioritizing fair
trade products which guarantee an appropriate income for farmers and help
to promote sustainable agriculture.
• Contribute to the well-being of stakeholders: developing social dialogue,
encouraging the exchange of information and transparency, adapting working
 hours according to employee profile, and making premises accessible to
people with reduced mobility.

Environmental Pillar
• The environmental pillar is founded on a commitment to protect the
environment by reducing risks and measuring the environmental
impacts of companies' activities.
• The challenges for companies in this area are as follows:
• Saving and preserving natural energy or agricultural resources
• Assessing their carbon footprint and reducing total greenhouse gas
emissions and further achieve sustainable development goals.
• Prevent water scarcity and reduce overall waste for current and future
generations.
https://sustainability-success.com/3-ps-of-sustainability-three-principles/
 Activity #1 – Mini Debate
• Divide the class in two groups.
• Choose one representative to pick in the fishbowl
which side will your group be.
• The teacher will be the moderator and the topic will
be…
• To progress or Not to progress? Should we prioritize
economic growth over environmental protection?
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS
AFFECTING THE EARTH
What are Ecological Footprints?
• The ecological footprint is a method that determines how
dependent humans are on natural resources. It is a
measure that indicates how much resources from the
environment are required to support a specific way of life
or business.
• The ecological footprint is generally expressed in global
hectares (gha), and allows professionals to determine the
land area required by each human to sufficiently meet
their needs.
BIOCAPACITY
• Biocapacity refers to the productivity of the city
states or nations of its ecological assets (including
cropland, grazing land, forest land, fishing grounds,
and built-up land).
• These areas, especially if left unharvested, can also
serve to absorb the waste we generate, especially
our carbon emissions from burning fossil fuel.
Biocapacity Deficit
• Biocapacity deficit or ecological deficit happens when the
population’s ecological footprint exceeds its biocapacity.
• Its demand for the goods and services that its land and seas can
provide—fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, wood, cotton for
clothing, and carbon dioxide absorption—exceeds what the
region’s ecosystems can regenerate.
• A region in ecological deficit meets demand by importing,
liquidating its own ecological assets (such as overfishing or
deforestation), and/or emitting carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
• If a region’s biocapacity exceeds its Ecological Footprint, it has a
biocapacity reserve.
Calculating Ecological Footprint
• There areseveral calculators available today for
determining the ecological footprint.
You can
check out this one:
• https://www.footprintcalculator.org/en/quiz/0/food/
category
Carbon Footprint
• Is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated
with all the activities of a person or other entity (e.g., building,
corporation, country, etc.).
• It includes direct emissions, such as those that result from
fossil- fuel combustion in manufacturing, heating, and
transportation, as well as emissions required to produce the
electricity associated with goods and services consumed.
• In addition, the carbon footprint concept also often includes
the emissions of other greenhouse gases, such as methane,
nitrous oxide, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Environmental Problems
What is ENVIRONMENT?
• Environment can be defined as a sum total of all the
living and non-living elements and their effects that
influence human life. While all living or biotic elements
are animals, plants, forests, fisheries, and birds, non-
living or abiotic elements include water, land, sunlight,
rocks, and air.
• Environment is generally defined as the surroundings or
conditions in which a person, animal or plant survives or
operates.
FUNCTIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
A. Provides the supply of resources

• The environment offers resources for production

• It includes both renewable and non
-renewable
resources
• Examples: Wood for furniture, soil, land, etc.
B. Sustains life
• The environment includes the sun, soil, water and air
which are essential for human life.
• It sustains life by providing genetic and biodiversity
c. Assimilates wastes
• Production and consumption activities generate
waste.
• This occurs mostly in the form of garbage.
• The environment helps in getting rid of the garbage.
d. Enhances quality of life
• The environment enhances the quality of life.
• Human beings enjoy the beauty of nature that
includes rivers, mountains, deserts, etc.
• These add to the quality of life.
Environmental Problems
• Environmental problems are the harmful effects of
human activities on the environment.
• This include pollution, overpopulation, waste disposal,
climate change, global warming, greenhouse effect, etc.
• Various environment protection programs are being
practiced at the individual, organizational, and
government levels, with the aims of establishing balance
between man and the environment.
Environmentally Sustainable Society
• The concept of a sustainable society has been
around for decades. In 1981, Lester Brown,
founder of the Worldwatch Institute, defined it as
“one that is able to satisfy its needs without
diminishing the chance of future generations.”
(https://www.sustainabilitydegrees.com/what-
issustainability/sustainable-society/)
• Over the years, this concept has evolved to encompass a
broad range of social and environmental issues. Many
 activists picture a sustainable society as a Venn diagram of
three overlapping concerns:
1. Environment
2. Social
3. Economic
• In a sustainable world, each dimension works in
harmony with the other. Today’s citizens are given every
opportunity to grow and thrive; tomorrow’s resources
are preserved and protected.
The Sustainability Society Index (SSI)
• The Sustainable Society Index (SSI), a framework developed by the
Sustainability Society Foundation, assess the level of progress toward
 sustainability in over 150 countries. It ranks each country in three
“wellbeing dimensions”:
• Environmental Wellbeing: Nature and environment (e.g., air quality),
climate and energy (e.g., greenhouse gas reduction) and natural
resources (e.g., biodiversity).
• Human Wellbeing: Basic needs (e.g., safe water), personal and social
development (e.g., gender equality) and health (e.g., clean water).
• Economic Wellbeing: Transition (e.g., organic farming) and economy
(e.g., employment).
PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARDS A
SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS
• Individuals cannot make sustainable
choices unless they know what those
choices are, and countries will not take
direct action to promote sustainable
practices unless they receive substantial
pressure from citizens. Websites,
speeches, movements and rallies all
contribute to raising public awareness.
PROMOTE EDUCATION
• Promoting free and fair access to a quality
education for all children, both girls and boys,
produces a number of positive outcomes. It
increases children’s level of understanding about
the environment; it empowers them to make
personal choices about family size and lifestyle;
and, it provides the world with informed and
productive citizens.
INCREASE GOVERNMENT AND
BUSINESS INVESTMENT
• New technologies and infrastructures, built
using environmentally sound practices,
have the potential to transform modern
society. But, this is only possible if
governments and businesses are willing to
invest much-needed capital in their
development.
CONSERVE RESOURCES AND ELIMINATE
WASTE
• Like it or not, the earth’s resources are
finite. Large-scale efforts to conserve
energy and water will have an impact, but
personal choices are just as important. The
more steps we take to eliminate waste and
needless consumption, the better off
future generations will be.
RE-EVALUATE VALUES
• Is the current culture of disposable
consumerism, fossil fuel dependency and
heavy automobile use what we hope to
pass on to our children? Do we wish to
overcome inequalities in education,
standards of living and economic
opportunity? Then our personal values, as
well as our actions, must change.
Let us reflect on this!
 STUDY: AIR POLLUTION SEVERE
IN NORTHERN MANILA
(THE MANILA TIMES. SEPTEMBER 2, 2023)
• AIR pollution in the Philippines is at its worst and more severe in
Northern Manila mainly due to vehicle emissions. Other sources
include mobile sources, power plants and industrial plants.
• These are the first findings released by Prudential pic, Pru Life UK's
parent company, from a twoyear research project that examines the
current state of global air quality and its health implications across 10
countries and cities (Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand, Vietnam, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya) including the
Philippines.
• "For a country as environmentally vulnerable as the
Philippines, it is important to raise awareness about the
repercussions of air pollution and climate change to the
environment and people's health. This makes climate change a
public health issue, and we at Pru Life UK believe that financial
security is a climate adaption measure. We remain committed
to fostering meaningful conversations to drive positive change
in this arena," says Emeren Vallente, Pru Life UK senior vice
president and chief ESG, legal and government relations
officer.
• The first phase of the research involves reviewing historical
records of air quality and health impacts, analyzing trends of
air quality and estimating health impacts of exposure to the air
pollutants in the studied countries and cities in the recent two
 decades. The second phase entails projecting future air quality
and its health impact on individuals that consider several
emission scenarios.
• This follows Pru Life UK's 2021 independent study that looked
at how climate change affects
Filipinos' health, well-being and financial
security.
• Apart from the apparent environmental risks of worsening air
pollution, the paper also cited negative health implications. Long-
term exposure to air pollution can cause severe respiratory diseases,
lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and premature disease.
• "The Prudential EOS Climate Impacts Initiative white paper is a
powerful reminder of the need to minimize the effects of air
pollution. Everything we do today will help secure a healthier future
 for generations to come," shares Steve Hung-Lam Yim, associate
professor at the NTU's Asian School of the
Environment and principal investigator at EOS.
• The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation reported
that the Philippines is one of the 10 nations with the
most air pollution-related mortality, with 64,000 deaths
in 2019 and a predicted rise in the following years.
• From 2000 to 2020, the premature death rate due to air
pollution in Southeast Asia increased by 33 percent.
• "In the Philippines, there is a clear upward
 trend in air pollution -related diseases and
Questions to Ponder
• According to the news, what are the sources of air
pollution in the Philippines?
• Why do you think it is important for Filipinos to be
aware and be concerned of the quality of air in the
Philippines?
• According to the study, what are the impacts of air
pollution?
Questions to Ponder
• What do you think are the possible sustainable
solutions to the problem on air pollution?
REFERENCES
• Sustainability. United Nations: Academic Impact. https://www.un.org/en/academi c-
impact/sustainability
• Sustainable Development Commission.( n.d). What is sustainable development?
https://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/wha t-is-sustainable-development.html
• Sustainability-What is it? Definition, Principles and Examples.(2021)
https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definition s-sustainability-definition-
examples-principles/
• Safdie, S. (2023). What are the three pillars of sustainable development?
https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/company-guide/3-pillars-of-sustainable-
development
• 3 Ps of Sustainability: Three Principles of Sustainable Development.
https://youtu.be/vNNo_fSISyI
• Simon (2023). 3 Ps of Sustainability (3 Principles of Sustainability and Sustainable
Development) https://sustainability-success.com/3-ps-of-sustainability-
threeprinciples/

• EcoOnline. Ecological Footprint.

https://www.ecoonline.com/glossary/ecologicalfootprint#:~:text=What%20is
%20Ecological%20Footprint%3F,way%20of%20life%20 or%20business.
• Selin, N. (n.d.) Carbon Footprint. Ecology and Conservation.
https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-footprint
• Global Footprint Network. (n.d.) Climate Change.
https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/climate-change/
• Its demand for the goods and services that its land and seas can provide—fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, wood, cotton for clothing, and carbon dioxide absorption—
• Environmental Issues and Solutions. https://byjus.com/biology/environmenta
l-
issues-
solutions/#:~:text=These%20include%20pollution%2C%20overpopulation%2C%2 0
waste,between%20man%20and%20the%20environmen t.
• Meaning and Functions of the Environment.
https://byjus.com/commerce/meaning-and-functions-of-environment/
• Sustainability Degrees. (n.d.) Sustainable Society.
https://www.sustainabilitydegrees.com/what
-is-sustainability/sustainable
-society/
END OF LESSON