Pillars of Sustainable

Development
Before we start…
One person can make a difference…

…and everyone should try

-J F Kennedy
✓ Youth are the most important actors in
sustainable development.
✓ It’s about our future.

Will you?
What is sustainable development?

The term “sustainable development” has become

commonplace in mainstream politics. However, not everyone is
aware what sustainable development truly means because
there is no fixed definition and politicians have used the term
in various ways.

What do YOU think sustainable development is?

The Brundtland Definition (1987)

“Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs
of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own
needs.”
 A brief history of sustainable development
1972: Stockholm UN 1987: Brundtland
1962: Rachel Carson’s Conference on Human Commission: “Our
book “Silent Spring” Development, first bringing Common Future”
becomes the catalyst for together heads of state on
modern environmentalism a massive scale to address
the question of environment
and development

1992: Earth Summit

• Rio Declaration
2000: Millennium 1997: Kyoto • Agenda 21
Development Goals Protocol • CSD
• CBD
• UNFCCC

2002: Johannesburg
Conference on
Sustainable Development
• Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation
2009: COP15 Copenhagen
2010: COP16 Cancun And now…
2011: COP17 Durban
Rio+20…
Society Sustainable development is more than just
caring about the environment, or generating
money through economic growth.

Economy Sustainable
development

It is the intersection of three pillars:

Environment
Environment, Economy, and Society.
 Systems approach
When we think of sustainable
development we must think of a
system where the decisions taken
ensure that every component of the
system – man, trees, environment,
society, wealth, is capable of
flourishing without hindering the
capacity of the other component to
do so, whether in the present or in
the future
THE PRINCIPLE IS TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING AS PART OF A WHOLE:
THE ISSUES WHICH WE FACE ARE MULTIPLE, AND COMPLEX. WE
NEED A HOLISTIC VISION, WHICH LOOKS AT THE WELLBEING OF MAN
AND THE PLANET TOGETHER.

The approach towards sustainable development should encompass all

aspects and take into consideration the fact that everything is
connected: across generations and across countries (and communities
etc)
How do we keep track of everything?

This may seem daunting – how do we keep track of everything?

But if we all understand the principles behind sustainable development:

principles such as equality, green living, social progress, responsible
consumption and so on, it is easy to reach agreement about what
sustainable development truly is, and what conditions are necessary to
achieve it.

Can you list some principles for sustainable

development?
To put it in context…
▪ Imagine what would happen if, for example, all the forests were
to be destroyed for the sake of building an industry. Imagine if
there were no trees at all on earth: would life be possible?
▪ Imagine, on the other hand, if we based an economy which tried
to protect those forests, make good use of them but keep them
in good condition for the next generations, as well as dividing
the profits equally among everyone involved. Thus, the wealth
would grow, the people would have a fair share not only of the
wealth, but also the access to those resources
▪ That’s sustainable development.
▪ Check out this video called “Tragedy of the Commons
▪ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFkUeleHPY
▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxC161GvMPc
A look at the three pillars of SD:
Economics
• Opportunities for growth
• Increased GDP and benefits
• System stability and
security
• Green jobs and eradication
of unemployment
• Prevention of practices with
misuse resources
• Regulation of
overexploitation and
harmful externalities
Social
• Participation and inclusion
of everyone
• Eradication of poverty and
exclusion
• Food security
• Equitable distribution of
resources
• Better life chances and
opportunities
• Protection from
exploitative practices
Environmental
• Protection of ecosystems and
biosphere
• Increased quality of air, land
and water
• Better management of waste
and pollution
• Respect and protection for all
species – flora, fauna, marine
species
• Measures to ensure resource
sustainability and harmony
• Protection of marine resources
 Sustainable development – the economic dimension
The economic pillar is often made to be the strongest or even the only
pillar in “development”. To ensure economic development and
sustainability at the same time, we need to look at issues such as:
▪ Fair trade

▪ Debt eradication

▪ Putting in place mechanisms which ensure that everyone gets their

due reward
▪ That corporations, industries and governments or Industries do not
use up resources and put a strain on the environment

We need mechanisms to “measure” sustainable development. This is why indicators are used. One of the
current issues is that the indicator used, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is not appropriate for measuring
sustainable development. Firstly, it is based on money. Secondly, using GDP as measure does not reflect social
inequality or resource overexploitation.

WHAT IF WE USED HAPPINESS AS AN INDICATOR INSTEAD?

 Sustainable development – the social dimension

• Health: everyone having access to healthcare and leading healthy

lifestyles, and diseases (such as HIV) being eradicated
• Education: everyone, esp. girls and people from poor background
having access to education
• Equality: everyone should be equal, and not be discriminated
against because they do not have the same resources or wealth as
others, or because they are a girl or belong to a specific
community etc.
• Peace: many of us may take peace for granted; conflicts and wars
around the world are taking place and lack of security is a very
real issue for a lot of youth.
• Food security, technology and communication, equal
opportunities, etc
Sustainable development – the environmental
dimension
The environment pillar of sustainable development is crucial; once we understand that the resources that the planet offers are
finite it becomes clear that current methods of consumption are using up more resources than the planet can afford.
Examples of how human activities have altered the planet are:
1. Climate change and global warming
Human activities and choices (esp use of fossil fuels!) have released huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the
atmosphere, which are naturally trapped by our ozone layer – thus contributing to the “greenhouse effect” and global
warming. This has in turn led to changes in weather patterns, more dramatic and destructive natural occurrences, drying
up of water resources and melting of polar icecaps – themselves contributing to the rise in sea levels.
2. Deforestation
Humans have destroyed huge amounts of trees to make place for agriculture,
construction, industry, and to use as resources eg for making paper or houses. This
has had a huge impact on the planet as trees are not only a huge sink of the
planet’s CO2, but they also provide “ecosystem services” such as preventing
erosion, harboring countless species and so on.
3. Loss of biodiversity
Human activities have disrupted ecosystems and also led to the disappearance –
extinction – of countless species of plants and animals.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijSSe66865w&t=26s
Many conflicting views of sustainable development believe that it is actually anti-
growth and anti-wealth. On the contrary, SD is about balance and a holistic
approach to development. This means that some things need to be preserved
and sustained while others should be given the incentive to be developed.

~What more could be added to this list?

~What can be improved? What things need to be protected?

What needs to be What needs to be

sustained? developed?
• Quality of life
• People and cultures • Justice and social equality
• Natural Resources • Equal opportunity
• Biodiversity • Institutions
• Environment • Culture of sustainability
and Ecosystems • Fair income
• Dialogue and Communication
What is my role in sustainable development (SD)?

 Sustainable development requires the active involvement of all

stakeholders: governments, NGOs, private sector but also civil
society. It is not just politicians, or policy makers, who decide
what SDshould be like. The most important stakeholder in SD is
YOU!
 You have to remind policy-makers to make decisions which
protect your future: you can remind them that you want better
jobs, cleaner cities, more equitable resource distribution, and
above all, a guarantee that your future is secure, full of
opportunities, a pleasant world to live in and a healthy
planet.
 And for young people?

 Sustainable development is especially important

for young people! The implementation of
sustainable development policies going into
effect now will determine the future which we
will inherit tomorrow!
 Because it is youth who will inherit this planet,
by advocating for sustainable
development, and adopting sustainable
practices, you are actively participating in
shaping your own future.
Making those decisions…

 The challenge is to devise policies which balance economic growth,

environmental protection, and social equality and which look at the long
term, but as long as you stick to the core principles, this is possible!

 Established Indicators must be used to measure progress of sustainable

development policies, so you can evaluate if more needs to be done! Thus,
you need to think outside the box, and think about others, and view your
contribution as part of a system, where you are helping SD policies
achieve goals that are beneficial to everyone including the planet.
How to talk about
sustainable development
goals?

develop your own message

How will you promote SD to the community?

1. Do your homework—learn a bit more about the

topic so that you feel more confident
2. Know WHO your audience is
3. Know WHERE your audience is located (find out
their background)
4. Know WHAT your audience already knows
5. Make it interesting!
Where is your audience located?
• Eg. it may not be necessary to talk about consuming less in a place where
there is not enough for people to consume
• Instead, it may be more appropriate to speak about how to deal with
waste or ways which are easier on the earth
• You decide the information you want to use to open up the dialogue; you know
best what makes the most sense in your area of the world

Who is your audience?

• Be ready to give more, or less information, depending on who you are
talking to! This is where knowing where to direct people for additional
information comes in handy!
• You do not have to be an expert. Just talk about what you know.
• People become interested in what you believe in. So speak about SD from
your own experience and perspective. This will make you more comfortable
speaking about it.

What does your audience already know?

• One way to open up a conversation is to start by talking about what
information you found interesting
• Talking about SD does not have to be discussed formally, just speak as you
would with friends, comfortably, in a language which you all understand
5 Important Measures for Sustainable
Development

1. Technology
2. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Approach
3. Promoting Environmental Education and Awareness
4. Resource Utilization as Per Carrying Capacity
5. Improving Quality of Life Including Social, Cultural
and Economic Dimensions
 Technology

• Using appropriate technology is one which is

locally adaptable, eco-friendly, resource
efficient and culturally suitable
• It mostly involves local resources and local
labour. Indigenous technologies are more
useful, cost-effective and sustainable. Nature
is often taken as a model, using the natural
conditions of that region as its components.
This concept is known as “design with
nature”. The technology should use less of
resources and should produce minimum
waste.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Approach

• The 3-R approach advocating minimization

of resource use, using them again and again
instead of passing it on to the waste stream
and recycling the materials goes a long way
in achieving the goals of sustainability. It
reduces pressure on our resources as well as
reduces waste generation and pollution.
 Promoting Environmental Education and
Awareness

• Making environmental education the center

of all learning process will greatly help in
changing the thinking pattern and attitude
of people towards our earth and the
environment. Introducing subject right from
the school stage will inculcate a feeling of
belongingness to earth in small children.
‘Earth thinking’ will gradually get
incorporated in our thinking and action
which will greatly help in transforming our
lifestyles to sustainable ones.
Resource Utilization as Per Carrying Capacity

• Any system can sustain a limited number of organisms on

a long-term basis which is known as its carrying capacity.
In case of human beings, the carrying capacity concept
becomes all the more complex. It is because unlike other
animals, human beings, not only need food to live, but
need so many other things to maintain the quality of life.
Sustainability of a system depends largely upon the
carrying capacity of the system. If the carrying capacity
of a system is crossed (say, by over exploitation of a
resource), environmental degradation starts and
continues till it reaches a point of no return.
• Carrying capacity has two basic components:
i. Supporting capacity i.e. the capacity to regenerate
ii. Assimilative capacity i.e. the capacity to tolerate different
stresses.
• In order to attain sustainability it is very important to
utilize the resources based upon the above two
properties of the system. Consumption should not exceed
regeneration and changes should not be allowed to occur
beyond the tolerance capacity of the system.
 Improving Quality of Life Including Social,
Cultural and Economic Dimensions

• Development should not focus

just on one-section of already
affluent people. Rather it
should include sharing of
benefits between the rich and
the poor. The tribal, ethnic
people and their cultural
heritage should also be
conserved. Strong community
participation should be there in
policy and practice. Population
growth should be stabilized.