BIO-5006 Sustainable Development

20.3.2013 Concept and meanings of sustainable development

annina.takala@tut.fi

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Source: http://xkcd.com/1007/

SUSTAINABLE

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DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable, sustainability…• Sustainable, sustainability,

sustained…• In 18th and 19th century

forestry and fishery sustainable yield learning to live off the interest of the available natural capital, not of the capital itselfresource is not exhausted and its use can continue (can be sustained) indefinitely

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Sustainable, sustainability

Physical sustainability DurableOperational sustainability Reliable, efficient,

acceptableOverall sustainability Rational, preferable

(source: S. Isoaho)

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Historical background• In the end of 1960s birth of environmentalism• Not a totally new phenomenon

– local environmental problems, e.g. water pollution– conservation of nature, wilderness (national parks and

conservation areas have been set up all over the world since the beginning of 19th century)

• Environmentalism was a more holistic approach– environmental problems were no longer perceived as

separate controllable/manageable issues– it was seen that there was a total crisis between society and

environment– fears that the conditions for human existence were being

jeopardised

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Wake-up calls• Rachel Carson (1962): Silent Spring

chemicalization of environment, particularly use of pesticides in agriculture

humans are part of the food chain also exposed to pesticides and other chemicals

in environment• The Club of Rome (1972): The Limits to

Growth population growth, exploitation of natural

resources warning of reaching limits collapse of society

• Nuclear weapons fear of radioactive pollution

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Wake-up call: Torrey Canyon 1967

Source: http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Torrey+Canyon

Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/18/newsid_4242000/4242709.stm

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Wake-up call: Limits

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/forty-years-since-the-first-picture-of-earth-from-space-1297569.html

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GAIA-hypothesis• Formulated by James Lovelock in the 1960s• all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are

closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet– temperature– chemical composition

• “Living earth”

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Global environmental problems

• In the 1980s global environmental problems• Ozone depletion (hole)

– first research results presented in the 1970s (Sherwood Roland and Mario Molina)

– in 1985 the ozone hole above Antarctica was discovered issue taken seriously

– 1987 Montreal Protocol to limit the use of CFCs• Climate change

– long periods of warm weather and drought

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SUSTAINABLE

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DEVELOPMENT

Development• Development = growth, progress, modernisation,

industrialisation? • Qualitative or quantitative change, that can be negative,

neutral or positive (S. Isoaho)• Development as a concept and discourse after WWII

– However, the ideas of development have been discussed already a lot earlier (P. Valtonen)

» good life (e.g. Aristotle, Konfuce, Rousseau, Kant)» democracy (e.g. Montesquieu, Tocqueville) » liberalism (e.g. J.S. Mill, A. Smith, D. Ricardo)» socialism (e.g. Saint-Simon, Marx)» positivism and the concept of progress (e.g. A. Comte)» evolutionism (e.g. L. Morgan)» early 20th century welfare-state (Hobhouse, Keynes)

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…developmentdeveloped?

development

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Industrial society• Industrial society as Future (1800-1920)

– promises, expectations, fears

• Industrial society as Wealth (1920-1975)– unquestionable belief for everlasting growth– subordination of nature and the resources was legitimated

by industrialization as the right course of the history– industrial society became as a standard of social and

national development

Based on Teemu Ahola’s presentation on the course Technological Development and Society (TUT)

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Questioning development• In the 1960s and 1970s

development discourse was questioned– environmental problems– problems in developing countries:

poverty, famine, wars • 1973 oil crisis everlasting

growth not possible?• Industrial society as Crisis 1975-

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SUSTAINABLE + DEVELOPMENT

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History of “sustainable development”• Assembly of the World Council of

Churches (1975) sustainable development three dimensions: cultural, social and environmental economics

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 1980: World Conservation Strategy – Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development

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The World Commission on Environment and Development

• In 1983 the General Assembly of the United Nations set the World Commission on Environment and Development (“ the Brundtland Commission”)• to create a global agenda for change• to propose long-term environmental

strategies for achieving sustainable development by the year 2000 and beyond

• Led by Gro Harlem Brundtland19

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Gro_Harlem_Brundtland_2009.jpg

Our Common Future• Report of the Commission Our Common Future was published

in 1987• Combined environment and development• “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 within it two key concepts: • 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.”

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Milestones of international politics on sustainable development

• The UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, 1992– based on Our Common Future– the idea of sustainable development was acknowledged on a high

political level for the first time– Rio declaration and Agenda 21

• The World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg 2002– Rio + 10 follow-up on Agenda 21– Declaration and Plan of implementation– emphasis on the three dimensions of sustainable development

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United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Rio

de Janeiro• Rio + 20• 20.–22.6.2012• Main themes:

– green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication

– the institutional framework for sustainable development

• End result: New declaration (The Future We Want), but no binding agreements or commitments

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18560734

Different perspectives on sustainable development

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The traditional representation?

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.

Economic

Environmental

Environment Economy

Society

Sustainable

development

Environment

Society

Economy

Another representation…

Juurola & Karppinen 2003; Sterling 2001

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Finnish interpretation of the three dimensions (www.environment.fi/sustainabledevelopment)

• Ecological sustainability– functioning ecosystems and biodiversity form the basis of human well-

being in the long-run– carrying capacity– cautionary principle

• Social and cultural sustainability– guaranteeing prerequisites of well-being also for future generations– challenges: population growth, poverty, food security, health care,

inequality, lack of education…• Economic sustainability

– balanced growth not based on debt or depletion of resources

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Strong vs. weak sustainability• Strong sustainability: emphasis on environment and

social justice. Utilisation of natural resources is necessary but economic growth should not be of intrinsic value

• Weak sustainability: Nature is seen merely as a “resource base” for human beings. Markets are seen to guide development in best possible (most sustainable) way.

• Compare Econcentrism (biocentrism) vs. anthropocentrism

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Sustainable development from the point of view of capital• Human capital (e.g. competencies, science, research…)• Physical capital (e.g. machinery, infrastructure,

buildings…)• Social capital (e.g. institutions, legislation, governance,

social networks, trust…)• Natural capital (e.g. ecosystem services, renewable and

non-renewable natural resources, biodiversity…)

• Are different forms of capital interchangeable? Weak vs. Strong interpretation?

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SUSTAINABLE + DEVELOPMENT

= IMPOSSIBLE? OXYMORON?

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Criticism• Vagueness of the concept, no consensus on what it

means in practice• Can mean pretty much anything nowadays

“greenwash”

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Is this a totally useless concept?

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Potential in sustainable development• It has enabled first global discourse on

environmental issues, sharing at least some goals (Hajer 1995; Macnaghten & Urry 1998; Wals & Jickling 2002)

• Can act as a catalyst for societal discussion and change

• Many important societal ideals (e.g. sustainable development, equality, justice) cannot be defined exactly does this make them useless?

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Concluding remarks on sustainable development

• Sustainable development is a (social learning) process, not a goal

• It is complex and dynamic in nature– socio-economic and natural systems– meanings change as the world changes, as our skills,

knowledge and capabilities change• Sustainable development both requires a dialogue and is a

dialogue of values– what we value, what we consider important and good

• We should use best available knowledge and understanding, but be ready to change our ideas and practices in the light of new knowledge

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Sustainable development and sustainability may productively function as a heuristic, in other words a learning process by which people are enabled to find things out for themselves and to fully appreciate the contested nature of knowledge, the environment and sustainability.

Blewitt 2008

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New ways of thinking needed?(Noorgaard 1994, 62)

• Atomism• Mechanism• universalism• Objectivism• Monism

• Holism• Systems • Contextualism• Subjectivism• Pluralism

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Challenges and dynamics of sustainable development

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Demographic changes

• population growth• ageing

http://www.kansanuutiset.fi/uutiset/ulkomaat/1971471/kehitysapu-vahenee-%E2%80%93vaestonkasvu-kiihtyy

http://yle.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/2010/04/vanhusten_kotihoito_takkuilee_1610627.html

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Globalisation

• mobility• interdependence

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http://www.seppo.net/cartoons/displayimage.php?album=25&pid=630

Climate change and energy production

• global energy security• fossil fuels• no holistic view

http://www.seppo.net/piirrokset/displayimage.php?album=27&pos=12

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Unsustainable use of natural resources• depletion of

biodiversity• energy

production• waste• equity

http://postconflict.unep.ch/sudanreport/sudan_website/index_photos_2.php?key=waste%20management

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Depletion of social capital

• inequality• poverty• social exclusion

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Economics

• economic systems• business models

http://www.porssisaatio.fi/artikkelit/menovinkki-porssi-kouluttaa-sijoittajia

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The biggest challenge?

• seeing the bigger picture

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The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)• Internationally agreed concrete goals to lead to

sustainable development… • Agreed upon in the year 2000 at the UN’s Millennium

Summit in New York• Goals are to be reached by 2015

• http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

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MDG1. ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY & HUNGER • Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the

proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day

• Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people

• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

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MDG2. ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION

• Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

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MDG3. PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN

• Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

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MDG4. REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY

• Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

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MDG5. IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH

• Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio

• Achieve universal access to reproductive health

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MDG6. COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES

• Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

• Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

• Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

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MDG7. ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY• Integrate the principles of sustainable

development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources

• Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss

• Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

• By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers

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MDG8. DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT

• Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system

• Address the special needs of least developed countries

• Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States

• Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries

• In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries

• In cooperation with the private sector, make available benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

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Materials• Blewitt, J. 2008. Understanding Sustainable Development. Earthscan,

London. (Ebrary)• Gough, S. 2002. Right answers to wrong problems? Towards a theory of

change for environmental learning. The Trumpeter 18 (1), ss. 1–15.• Juurola, M. & Karppinen, H. 2003. Sosiaalinen kestävyys ja metsien

käyttö. Metsätieteen aikakauskirja 2/2003, pp. 129–142.• Norgaard, R.B. 1994. Development Betrayed. The end of progress and

a coevolutionary revisioning of the future. Routledge, London.• Scott, W. 2002. Sustainability and learning: what role for the curriculum?

http://www.bath.ac.uk/cree/resources/scott.pdf• Sterling, S. 2001.Sustainable education. Re-visioning learning and

change. Schumacher Briefings.• The World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987. Our

Common Future. http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm

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…and still some more• Daly, H. 1996. Beyond the Growth, The Economics of Sustainable

Economics, Beacon Press, Boston.• Hajer, M.A. 1995. The Politics of Environmental Discourse. Ecological

Modernization and the Policy Process. Clarendon Press, Oxford.• Lomborg, B. 2001. The Skeptical Environmentalist. Cambridge University

Press.• Macnaghten, P. & Urry, J. 1998. Contested Natures. Sage Publications,

London. • Wals, A.E.J & Jickling, B. 2002. “Sustainability” in higher education: from

doublethink and newspeak to critical thinking and meaningful learning. Higher Education Policy 15, ss. 121–131.

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