Sustainability
can be defined as the practice of maintaining processes of productivity
indefinitely—natural or human made—by replacing resources used with resources
of equal or greater value without degrading or endangering natural biotic
systems. According to M. Hasna, sustainability is a function of social,
economic, technological and ecological themes. Sustainable development ties
together concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social,
political, and economic challenges faced by humanity.
As early as the 1970s,
the concept of "sustainability" was employed to describe an economy
"in equilibrium with basic ecological support systems." Scientists in
many fields have highlighted The Limits to Growth, and economists have
presented alternatives, for example a 'steady state economy'; to address
concerns over the impacts of expanding human development on the planet.
The term
“sustainability standards” refers to a voluntary, usually third party-assessed,
norms and standards relating to environmental, social, ethical and food safety
issues, adopted by companies to demonstrate the performance of their
organizations or products in specific areas. There are perhaps up to 500 such
standards and the pace of introduction has increased in the last decade. The
trend started in the late 1980s and 90s with the introduction of Ecolabels and
standards for Organic food and other products. In recent years, numerous
standards have been established and adopted in the food industry in particular.
Most of them refer to the triple bottom line of environmental quality, social
equity, and economic prosperity. The basic premise of sustainability standards
is twofold. Firstly, they emerged in areas where national and global
legislation was weak but where the consumer and NGO movements around the globe
demanded action. For example, campaigns by Global Exchange and other NGOs
against the purchase of goods from “sweatshop” factories by the likes of Nike,
Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and other leading brands led to the emergence of
social welfare standards like the SA8000 and others. Secondly, leading brands
selling to both consumers and to the B2B supply chain may wish to demonstrate
the environmental or organic merits of their products, which has led to the
emergence of hundreds of ecolabels, organic and other standards. A leading
example of a consumer standard is the Fairtrade movement, administered by FLO
International and exhibiting huge sales growth around the world for ethically
sourced produce. An example of a B2B standard which has grown tremendously in
the last few years is the Forest Stewardship Council’s standard (FSC) for
forest products made from sustainably harvested trees. However, the line
between consumer and B2B sustainability standards is becoming blurred, with
leading trade buyers increasingly demanding Fairtrade certification, for
example, and consumers increasingly recognizing the FSC mark.
Sustainable
development
is a roadmap, the action plan, for achieving sustainability in any activity
that uses resources and where immediate and intergenerational replication is
demanded. As such, sustainable development is the organizing principle for
sustaining finite resources necessary to provide for the needs of future
generations of life on the planet. It is a process that envisions a desirable
future state for human societies in which living conditions and resource-use
continue to meet human needs without undermining the "integrity,
stability, and beauty" of natural biotic systems.
HISTORY FOR SUSTAINABAILITY
The concept of "sustainable
development" has its roots in forest management as early as the 12th to
16th centuries. However, over the last five decades the concept has
significantly broadened. The first use of the term sustainable in the
contemporary sense was by the Club of Rome in 1972 in its
classic report on the "Limits to Growth", written by a group of
scientists led by Dennis and Donella Meadows of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Describing the desirable "state of global
equilibrium", the authors used the word "sustainable": "We
are searching for a model output that represents a world system that is: (1)
sustainable without sudden and uncontrolled collapse and (2) capable of satisfying
the basic material requirements of all of its people."
- In 1980, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature published a world conservation strategy that included one of the first references to sustainable development as a global priority.
- In 1982, the United Nations World Charter for Nature raised five principles of conservation by which human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged.
- In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development released the report Our Common Future, now commonly named the 'Brundtland Report' after the commission's chairperson, the then Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland. The report included what is now one of the most widely recognised definitions: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The Brundtland Report goes on to say that sustainable development also contains within it two key concepts:
1. The concept of
"needs," in particular, the essential needs of the world's poor, to
which overriding priority should be given; and
2. The idea of
limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the
environment's ability to meet present and future needs.
In 1992, the UN Conference on Environment and
Development published in 1992 the Earth Charter, which outlines the building of a
just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. The action
plan Agenda 21 for sustainable
development identified information, integration, and participation as key
building blocks to help countries achieve development that recognizes these
interdependent pillars. It emphasises that in sustainable development everyone
is a user and provider of information. It stresses the need to change from old
sector-centered ways of doing business to new approaches that involve
cross-sectoral co-ordination and the integration of environmental and social
concerns into all development processes. Furthermore, Agenda 21 emphasises that
broad public participation in decision making is a fundamental prerequisite for
achieving sustainable development.
The UN Commission on Sustainable Development integrated
sustainable development into the UN System. Indigenous peoples have argued, through
various international forums such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues and the Convention on Biological Diversity, that there are four
pillars of sustainable development, the fourth being cultural. The Universal Declaration on Cultural
Diversity from 2001 states: "... cultural diversity is as
necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature”; it becomes “one
of the roots of development understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means
to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual
existence".
The proposed changes were supported by
a study in 2013, which concluded that sustainability reporting should be
reframed through the lens of four interconnected domains: ecology, economics,
politics and culture.
PRINICIPAL AND
CONCEPT OF SUSAINABILITY FOR AN ENVIRONMENT
The philosophical and analytic
framework of sustainability draws on and connects with many different
disciplines and fields; in recent years an area that has come to be called
sustainability science has emerged.
The identified principles and treaties
on sustainable development, including economic development, social development
and environmental protection. The Circles of Sustainability approach
distinguishes the four domains of economic, ecological, political and cultural
sustainability. This in accord which specifies culture as the fourth
domain of sustainable development.
Scale and context
idea for sustainability
Sustainability is studied and managed
over many scales (levels or frames of reference) of time and space and in many
contexts of environmental, social and economic organization. The focus ranges
from the total carrying capacity (sustainability) of planet Earth to the
sustainability of economic sectors, ecosystems, countries, municipalities, neighborhoods,
home gardens, individual lives, individual goods and services, occupations,
lifestyles, behaviour patterns and so on. In short, it can entail the full compass
of biological and human activity or any part of it. As Daniel Botkin, author
and environmentalist, has stated: "We see a landscape that is always in
flux, changing over many scales of time and space."
As such, a long-running impediment to
the design and implementation of practical measures to reach global
sustainability has been the size of planet Earth and the complex processes and
systems involved. To shed light on the big picture, explorer and sustainability
campaigner Jason Lewis has drawn parallels to other, more
tangible closed systems. For example, he
likens human existence on Earth - isolated as the planet is in space, whereby
people cannot be evacuated to relieve population pressure and resources cannot
be imported to prevent accelerated depletion of resources - to life at sea on a
small boat isolated by water. In both cases, he argues, exercising the precautionary principle is a key factor in
survival.
Consumption idea for
sustainability
A major driver of human impact on Earth
systems is the destruction of biophysical resources, and especially, the
Earth's ecosystems. The environmental impact of a community or of humankind as
a whole depends both on population and impact per person, which in turn depends
in complex ways on what resources are being used, whether or not those
resources are renewable, and the scale of the human activity relative to the
carrying capacity of the ecosystems involved. Careful resource management can
be applied at many scales, from economic sectors like agriculture,
manufacturing and industry, to work organizations, the consumption patterns of
households and individuals and to the resource demands of individual goods and
services.
One of the initial attempts to express
human impact mathematically was developed in the 1970s and is called the I PAT formula. This
formulation attempts to explain human consumption in terms of three components:
population numbers, levels of
consumption (which it terms "affluence", although the usage is
different), and impact per unit of resource use (which is termed
"technology", because this impact depends on the technology used). The equation
is expressed:
I = P × A × T
Where: I = Environmental
impact, P = Population, A = Affluence, T = Technology.
Philosophical
idea for sustainability
The field reflects a desire to give
the generalities and broad-based approach of “sustainability” a stronger
analytic and scientific underpinning as it:
... brings together scholarship and
practice, global and local perspectives from north and south, and disciplines
across the natural and social sciences, engineering, and medicine
— it can be usefully thought of as "neither ‘‘basic’’ nor ‘‘applied’’
research but as a field defined by the problems it addresses rather than by the
disciplines it employs; it serves the need for advancing both knowledge and
action by creating a dynamic bridge between the two."
Sustainability science, like
sustainability itself, derives some impetus from the concepts of sustainable
development and environmental science. Sustainability science provides a
critical framework for sustainability
while sustainability measurement provides the evidence-based
quantitative data needed to guide sustainability governance.
27 Principles of Sustainability
Principle 1. The role of man
Human
beings are at the centre of concern for sustainable development. They are
entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
Principle 2. State sovereignty
States
have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles
of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources
pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility
to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause
damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of
national jurisdiction.
Principle 3. The Right to
development
The right
to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and
environmental needs of present and future generations.
Principle 4. Environmental
Protection in the Development Process
In order
to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute
an integral part of the development process chain and cannot be considered in
isolation from it.
Principle 5. Eradication of Poverty
All States
and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as
an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in order to decrease
the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the
majority of the people of the world.
Principle 6. Priority for the Least
Developed
The
special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least
developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special
priority. International actions in the field of environment and development
should also address the interests and needs of all countries.
Principle 7. State Cooperation to
Protect Ecosystem
States
shall cooperate in a spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and
restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. In view of the
different contributions to global environmental degradation, States have common
but differentiated responsibilities. The developed countries acknowledge the
responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable
development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global
environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.
Principle 8. Reduction of
Unsustainable Patterns of Production and Consumption
To achieve
sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, States
should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and
consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies.
Principle 9. Capacity Building for
Sustainable Development
States
should cooperate to strengthen endogenous capacity-building for sustainable
development by improving scientific understanding through exchanges of
scientific and technological knowledge, and by enhancing the development,
adaptation, diffusion and transfer of technologies, including new and
innovative technologies.
Principle 10. Public participation
Environmental
issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens, at
the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have
appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by
public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities
in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making
processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and
participation by making information widely available. Effective access to
judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be
provided.
Principle 11. National Environmental
Legislation
States
shall enact effective environmental legislation. Environmental standards,
management objectives and priorities should reflect the environmental and
developmental context to which they apply. Standards applied by some countries
may be inappropriate and of unwarranted economic and social cost to other
countries, in particular developing countries.
Principle 12. Supportive and Open
International Economic System
States
should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system
that would lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all
countries, to better address the problems of environmental degradation. Trade
policy measures for environmental purposes should not constitute a means of
arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on
international trade. Unilateral actions to deal with environmental challenges
outside the jurisdiction of the importing country should be avoided.
Environmental measures addressing transboundary or global environmental
problems should, as far as possible, be based on an international consensus.
Principle 13. Compensation for
Victims of Pollution and other Environmental Damage
States
shall develop national law regarding liability and compensation for the victims
of pollution and other environmental damage. States shall also cooperate in an
expeditious and more determined manner to develop further international law
regarding liability and compensation for adverse effects of environmental
damage caused by activities within their jurisdiction or control to areas
beyond their jurisdiction.
Principle 14. State Cooperation to
Prevent environmental dumping
States
should effectively cooperate to discourage or prevent the relocation and
transfer to other States of any activities and substances that cause severe
environmental degradation or are found to be harmful to human health.
Principle 15. Precautionary
principle
In order
to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied
by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious
or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as
a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental
degradation.
Principle 16. Internalization of
Environmental Costs
National
authorities should endeavour to promote the internalization of environmental
costs and the use of economic instruments, taking into account the approach
that the polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution, with due
regard to the public interest and without distorting international trade and
investment.
Principle 17. Environmental Impact
Assessments
Environmental
impact assessment, as a national instrument, shall be undertaken for proposed
activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the
environment and are subject to a decision of a competent national authority.
Principle 18. Notification of
Natural Disaster
States
shall immediately notify other States of any natural disasters or other
emergencies that are likely to produce sudden harmful effects on the
environment of those States. Every effort shall be made by the international
community to help States so afflicted.
Principle 19. Prior and Timely
Notification
States
shall provide prior and timely notification and relevant information to
potentially affected States on activities that may have a significant adverse
transboundary environmental effect and shall consult with those States at an
early stage and in good faith.
Principle 20. Women have a Vital
Role
Women have
a vital role in environmental management and development. Their full participation
is therefore essential to achieve sustainable development.
Principle 21. Youth Mobilization
The
creativity, ideals and courage of the youth of the world should be mobilized to
forge a global partnership in order to achieve sustainable development and
ensure a better future for all.
Principle 22. Indigenous Peoples
have a Vital Role
Indigenous
people and their communities and other local communities have a vital role in
environmental management and development because of their knowledge and
traditional practices. States should recognize and duly support their identity,
culture and interests and enable their effective participation in the
achievement of sustainable development.
Principle 23. People under
Oppression
The
environment and natural resources of people under oppression, domination and
occupation shall be protected.
Principle 24. Warfare
Warfare is
inherently destructive of sustainable development. States shall therefore
respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of
armed conflict and cooperate in its further development, as necessary.
Principle 25. Peace, Development and
Environmental Protection
Peace,
development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.
Principle 26. Resolution of Environmental
Disputes
States
shall resolve all their environmental disputes peacefully and by appropriate
means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
Principle 27. Cooperation between
State and People
States and
people shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of partnership in the
fulfilment of the principles embodied in this Declaration and in the further
development of international law in the field of sustainable development.
Different sustainability ways
Numerous sustainability standards
have been developed in recent years to address issues of environmental quality,
social equity, and economic prosperity of global production and trade
practices. Despite similarities in major goals and certification procedures,
there are some significant differences in terms of their historical
development, target groups of adopters, geographical diffusion, and emphasis on
environmental, social or economic issues.
Fairtrade
The Fairtrade label was developed in
the late 1980s by a Dutch development agency in collaboration with Mexican
farmers. The initiative performs development work and promotes its political
vision of an alternative economy, seeing its main objective in empowering small
producers and providing these with access to and improving their position on
global markets. The most distinguishing feature of the Fairtrade label is the
guarantee of a minimum price and a social premium that goes to the cooperative
and not to the producers directly. Recently, Fairtrade also adopted
environmental objectives as part of their certification system.
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance was created
in the late 1980s from a social movement and is committed to conserving
rainforests and their biodiversity. One key element of the standard is the
compulsory elaboration and implementation of a detailed plan for the
development of a sustainable farm management system so as to assist wildlife
conservation. Another objective is to improve workers’ welfare by establishing
and securing sustainable livelihoods. Producer prices may carry a premium. Yet
instead of guaranteeing a fixed floor price, the standard seeks to improve the
economic situation of producers through higher yields and enhanced cost
efficiency.
Utz Certified
Utz Certified (formerly Utz Kapeh)
was co-founded by the Dutch coffee roaster Ahold Coffee Company in 1997. It
aims to create an open and transparent marketplace for socially and
environmentally responsible agricultural products. Instruments include the UTZ
Traceability System and the UTZ Code of Conduct. The traceability system makes
certified products traceable from producer to final buyer and has stringent
chains of custody requirements. The UTZ Code of Conduct emphasizes both
environmental practices (e.g. biodiversity conservation, waste handling and
water use) and social benefits (e.g. access to medical care, access to sanitary
facilities at work).
Organic
The Organic standard was developed
in the 1970s and is based on IFOAM Basic Standards. IFOAM stands for
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and is the leading
global umbrella organization for the organic farming movement. The IFOAM Basic
Standards provide a framework of minimum requirements, including the omission
of agrochemicals such as pesticides and chemical-synthetic fertilizers. The use
of animal feeds is also strictly regulated. Genetic engineering and the use of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are forbidden.
trustea
The trustea code is designed to
evaluate the social, economic, agronomic and environmental performance of
Indian tea estates, smallholders and Bought Leaf Factories (BLFs).
It is expected that the compliance
with the code not only improves competitiveness of the tea farms but also
facilitates the tea farms in achieving compliance with national regulations and
international sustainability standards in a step-wise approach. The applicable
control points under eleven chapters are required to be adhered to within a
four year period, resulting in full compliance in a step wise approach by end
of year 4. The India tea code allows producers to show that they operate
responsibly – producing quality tea according to strict social and
environmental standards. The verification under the code provides manufacturers
with the assurance of responsible production and provides opportunities to
credibly demonstrate this to their customers.