Topic 5

1. Topic 5 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Assoc Prof Dr Sharifah Norazizan Syed Abd Rashid APPM Department of Social and Development Science Faculty of Human Ecology, UPM sharifah@putra.upm.edu.my

2. Content • Concepts, aims and objectives • Basic Principles of SD • Values • Balance and Equity • Implications of Unsustainability • Practices and Policies

3. Sustainable DevelopmentA Context & Direction • “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” • “Living off the interest of our environmental and resource capital rather than spending the capital itself ” • “Thinking globally, acting locally” • “Doing more with less”

4. Definition of Sustainable Development • The phrase “sustainable development” has become an essential part of the vocabulary in environment and development circles. It denotes a particular approach to the process of development. • The term is really a combination of two separate concepts - DEVELOPMENT and SUSTAINABILITY. • DEVELOPMENT” is usually understood as a process that moves towards people’s participation in the meeting of their own basic human needs such as food, health care, employment and housing.

5. Transformation from one level to another which will enrich human life to become more better and various in material and culture aspect, rational and others. (Galseki, 1972) Development is like a variable, a complex definition and have different meanings and are not consistent which means can change according to whom who suggest and use it. (Van Nieuwenhinjze, 1969) Nowadays development concept are more to achieve sustainable development. Definition of Development

6. cont Positive processes of development are ones in which: • people participate to solve their own problems. • traditional cultures and lifestyles are respected. • people become less dependent on external aid and more capable of using and developing their own resources. • power and resources are shared. • women, indigenous people, and other marginalized groups participate in decisions.

7. Economist: sustainable as an effort to explain balancing which is needed between economic growth and natural environment conservation. To maintain, to endure, to reserve    (Webster’s Dictionary) Capable of being maintained at length without interruption, weakening, or loss in power or quality. Definition of Sustainable

8. Is the main goal in economic and social development because it encompass the welfare of future generation. ( Simon, 1989) Sustainable development is a process of bringing Economic Development, Community Development and Ecological Development to balance with each other. (The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide, ICLEI ) Sustainable development is "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED / Brundtland Commission, 1987) Definition of Sustainable Development

9. Definition of Sustainable Development (Contd.) The result is a new approach to development that combines some key development principles (factors that are necessary to ensure long-term economic, political, or social viability - such as involvement of women, appropriate technology, and community participation), with factors necessary to ensure environmental viability (impact assessment, consideration of the particular environmental context, etc.)

10. What is Sustainability? There is no universally agreed definition on what sustainability means. There are many different views on what it is and how it can be achieved. The idea of sustainability stems from the concept of sustainable development which became common language at the World's first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. The original definition of sustainable development is usually considered to be: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." BrundtlandReport for the World Commission on Environment and Development (1992)

11. Definition of Sustainability “SUSTAINABILITY” as the word suggests means that the development project or process is one that can be maintained in the long term. This means it must be economically, socially, and politically sustainable; it also means that it must be environmentally sustainable. Development must take place without destroying or undermining the ecological and resource base upon which it rests.

12. Concepts in Sustainable Development • The central concept of this definition is the need for intergenerational equity : future generations have the same rights as the present ones. • Intergenerational equity means that persons of the same generation belonging to different political, economical, social and geographical contexts, have the same rights. The success of this concept, mainly of ecological source, has inspired the international debate and led to numerous in-depth studies and further elaborations, so that over time it has come to comprise all dimensions that contribute to development.

13. Concepts of Sustainable Development cont • The interdependence of society, economy and the natural environment is another key concept in SD. The very existence of mankind was dependent upon utilizing the environment for resources, respecting that there are limits to what nature can provide without being damaged. • Unfortunately, mankind, through unsustainable patterns of resource consumption, seems now to be increasing the rate of change and consequently the levels of stress experienced within the environment. • Interdependence exists across both time as well as space. Past, present and future are inextricably connected. Understanding the concept of interdependence will assist us in recognizing our responsibilities for the future.

14. Other Concepts of SDNeeds and Limitations "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."

15. Goals of Sustainable Development • A sustainable society enables its members to achieve a high quality of life in ways that are ecologically sustainable (United Nations). Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a population or community - whether the economic, social and environmental systems • Securing economic development, social equity and justice, and environmental protection is the goal of sustainable development. Although these three factors can work in harmony, they are often found to conflict with one another. • A Goal for Sustainable Development is to enable each individual to live life to their full potential physical, mental, and spiritual development (1992 Earth Summit - Agenda 21)

16. Aims of Sustainable Development • More recently, society has grown to realize that we cannot live in a healthy society or economy with so much poverty and environmental degradation. Economic growth will remain the basis for human development, but it must change and become less environmentally destructive. The challenge of SD is to put this understanding into practice, changing our unsustainable ways into more sustainable ones. • The aim of sustainable development is to balance our economic, environmental and social needs, allowing prosperity for now and future generations. • Sustainable development consists of a long-term, integrated approach to developing and achieving a healthy community by jointly addressing economic, environmental, and social issues, whilst avoiding the over consumption of key natural resources.

17. Principles of Sustainable Development The guiding principle of sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development recognizes the interdependence of environmental, social and economic systems and promotes equality and justice through people empowerment and a sense of global citizenship. Whilst we cannot be sure what the future may bring, a preferable future is a more sustainable one.

18. Key Principles "In essence sustainable development is about five key principles: quality of life; fairness and equity; participation and partnership; care for our environment and respect for ecological constraints - recognizing there are 'environmental limits'; and thought for the future and the precautionary principle". (From Making London Work by Forum for the Future's Sustainable Wealth London project)

19. contd "The environment must be protected… to preserve essential ecosystem functions and to provide for the wellbeing of future generations; environmental and economic policy must be integrated; the goal of policy should be an improvement in the overall quality of life, not just income growth; poverty must be ended and resources distributed more equally; and all sections of society must be involved in decision making". (The Real World Coalition 1996, a definition based on the work of the World Commission on Environment and Development)

20. Principles of Sustainable Development Basic Principles • Inter generational equity • Polluter pays principle eg remedy to compensate the villagers suffering from the lethal waste left behind by a group of chemical industries

21. Basic Principles of Sustainable Development • Reference : Jonathan M. Harris, GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE, WORKING PAPER 00-04 June 2000, Tufts University, Medford MA ..\..\Harris 2000.pdf

22. Hidup Dalam Persekitaran Terhad Menghormati persekitaran sumber dan biodiversiti bumi yang terhad – utk memperbaiki persekitaran dan memastikan sumber semulajadi utk keperluan hidup tidak terjejas utk generasi akan datang Memastikan Masyarakat yang Kuat, Sihat dan Adil Memenuhi keperluan pelbagai masyarakat dlm komuniti sekarang dan akan datang, mempromosikan kesejahteraan peribadi, ‘social cohesion’, ‘social inclusion’, dan peluang yg samarata untuk semua. Sustainable Development Principles Membina Ekonomi Lestari Membina Ekonomi yg kuat dan stabil yg dapat menyediakan peluang utk semua, dimana kos persekitaran dan sosial di kenakan keatas mereka yang menyebabkannya serta penggunaan sumber yg efisien Menggunakan Pendekatan Saintifik ‘Evidence Based Policies’ Memastikan polisi dibentuk dan di implementasikan atas dasar bukti saintifik juga sikap dan nilai umum Governans Mempromosikan sistem penyertaan (governans) yg efektif dalam setiap peringkat masyarakat

23. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: DEFINING A NEW PARADIGM • There has been a growing recognition of three essential aspects of sustainable development- ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL • The goals expressed or implied are multidimensional, raising the issue of how to balance objectives and how to judge success or failure.

24. COMMON THREE-RING SECTOR VIEW OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ECONOMY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL • source : B Giddings, B Hopwood & G O’Brien, Sustainable Cities Research Institute

25. Economic, Environmental and Social • * Economic: An economically sustainable system must be able to produce goods and services on a continuing basis, to maintain manageable levels of government and to avoid extreme sectoral imbalances which damage agricultural or industrial production. • * Environmental: An environmentally sustainable system must maintain a stable resource base, avoiding depleting non-renewable resources and that investment is made in adequate substitutes. This includes maintenance of biodiversity, atmospheric stability, and other ecosystem functions not ordinarily classed as economic resources. • * Social: A socially sustainable system must achieve fairness in distribution and opportunity, adequate provision of social services including health and education, gender equity, and political accountability and participation.

26. Dimensions of Sustainable Development Sustainable development requires simultaneous and balanced progress in four dimensions that are totally interdependent • Social • Economic • Environmental • Political ** Achieving this goal requires a dynamic balance between • Production and Consumption • Ecology and Economics • Development and Conservation

27. Nature of Dynamic Balance Between Countries • the particular nature of the dynamic balance between these factors will vary between the developing and developed countries • Many commentators on sustainable development often refer to what they call “the triple bottom line" of economic sustainability, social sustainability, and ecological sustainability. In such cases, the focus is only on three dimensions of sustainable development - social, economic and environmental • Sometimes these are referred to as the "3 E's" of sustainable development - Equality, Economy, and Ecology Question??? • Do you think it matters that the political dimension of sustainable development is left out? Why?

28. A New ParadigmEconomic sustainability • Drawing on economic, ecological, and social perspectives, we can identify some of the main themes that are integral to the construction of a new paradigm: • * Economic sustainability requires that the different kinds of capital that make economic production possible must be maintained or augmented. These include manufactured capital, natural capital, human capital, and social capital. Some substitutability may be possible among these kinds of capital, but in broad terms they are complementary, so that the maintenance of all four is essential over the long term.

29. Ecological Sustainability • Unlike economists, whose models provide no upper bound on economic growth, physical scientists and ecologists are accustomed to the idea of limits. • In order to achieve ecological sustainability, it is likely to be necessary to modify current consumption preferences and production techniques which, while efficient in economic terms, threaten the ecological resilience of planetary systems.

30. Social Sustainability • Advocates of sustainable development recognize the social component of development as an essential part of the new paradigm. A ‘human development’ approach emphasizing issues of basic needs and equity is well grounded in the history of economic theory. • Basic needs and equity in development have been the focus of the United Nations Development Programme’s series of Human Development Reports. In addition to calculating the Human Development Index, which offers a different measure of development success from per capita GNP or GDP, the Human Development Reports focus each year on a different aspect of social and economic development, such as democratic governance (1993), gender inequity (1995), and poverty (1997).

31. Equity and Balance in Sustainable Development • In the context of sustainability, the term equity has to do with fairness - whether all people have similar rights and opportunities, basic needs to maintain an acceptable quality of life. Equity, in this context, refers to the idea that all people throughout a community, have these same basic needs that must be taken into consideration. This concept is often referred to as intra-generational equity, meaning equity among the present population. • Equity is not just relevant to all people alive today. Inter-generational equity is concerned with fairness between current and future generations. This means striking a reasonable balance between satisfying our needs now and setting aside enough to provide for needs of our children and grandchildren in the future.

32. Sustainability and Equity • ‘…the concept of sustainable development raises the issue of whether present life-styles are acceptable and whether there is any reason to pass them on to the next generation. Because intergenerational equity must go hand in hand with intragenerational equity, a major restructuring of the world’s income and consumption patterns may be a necessary precondition for any viable strategy of sustainable development’ (UNDP, 1994). • Reed (1997) notes that the social component of sustainability includes issues of distributional equity, provision of social services, gender equity, population stabilization, and political accountability and participation. Reference: Reed, David ed. (1997), Structural Adjustment, the Environment and Sustainable Development, London: Earthscan Publications.

33. As an individual: Your local authority will be more sensitive and effective to your needs A more conducive environment and a higher quality of life As an organization or establishment: Opportunity to participate in the planning and development in your surroundings with the local authority Opportunity to give valuable input to policies and practices that will influence your surroundings and the community's quality of life As a representative of the government Increased understanding and cooperation between government and the community Further improve the image as one that practices good institution through public participation, transparency, consensus building, effectiveness and efficiency and accountability Benefit of Sustainable Development

34. Implications of Unsustainability • Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in developed countries, are the major cause of the continued depletion of natural resources and deterioration of the global environment. It is widely acknowledged that the Earth cannot support the consumption levels of industrialized countries on a global scale. In addition, such high levels of consumption affect the current and future consumption and production options of developing countries.

35. Implications of Unsustainability • "...current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class - involving high meat intake use of fossil fuels, appliances, home and work-place air-conditioning, and suburban housing - are not sustainable. A shift is necessary. which will require a vast strengthening of the multilateral system, including the United Nations..." opening speech at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development Note: This global contract binds all nations and spreading regions to the collective vision of "sustainable development." They must commit to pursue the three E's of "sustainability": Environment, Economy and Equity referring to the UN blueprint for environmental regulations, economic regulations, and social equity.

36. cont • This global contract binds governments around the world to the UN plan for changing the ways we live, eat, learn, and communicate - all under the noble banner of saving the earth. Its regulations would severely limit water, electricity, and transportation - even deny human access to our most treasured wilderness areas. If implemented, it would manage and monitor all lands and people. No one would be free from the watchful eye of the new global tracking and information system • As a result of RIO, The Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide was introduced,  local leaders around the world to "undertake a consultative process with their populations and achieve a consensus on 'Local Agenda 21' for their communities."

37. Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 • ….specifically calls for each community to formulate its own Local Agenda 21: "Each local authority should enter into a dialogue with its citizens, local organizations, and private enterprises and adopt 'a local Agenda 21.' Through consultation and consensus-building, local authorities would learn from citizens and from local, civic, community, business and industrial organizations and acquire the information needed for formulating the best strategies." (Agenda 21, Chapter 28, sec 1,3.)

38. A Summary • From this point of view, development is not to be perceived as a permanent state or a static image, but rather as a continuing process that implies the integration of the three essential and inseparable aspects of development: the Environmental, Economic and Social dimension. • A change to more sustainable lifestyles calls for the concerted, combined efforts of governments, producers, and consumers. It requires less emphasis on material consumption, more emphasis on resource and energy-efficient technologies, a stronger commitment to meeting the needs of the poor, and a focus on economic systems that account for social and environmental costs. Such a fundamental change is very difficult to achieve because of strongly ingrained beliefs and behaviours.

39. The vision and goals of sustainable development should be grounded in the historical, cultural and political development of each country. It is very important that the sustainable development vision should have political support; but equally important is that such vision and goals be shared by relevant stakeholders and the general population. These elements are of the highest importance to generate networking and to develop the institutional structure that support sustainable development initiatives.

40. Discussion • Define Sustainable Development and What are its aims and Objectives? • What are the concepts and basic principles of Sustainable Development? • What do you understand of Equity and Balance? In your opinion, is there a need to restructure the world’s income and consumption patterns if Sustainable Development is to achieve its Aims and Objectives?

41. Discussion • "A sustainable future is one in which a healthy environment, economic prosperity and social justice are pursued simultaneously to ensure the well-being and quality of life of present and future generations. Education is crucial to attaining that future." (Learning for a Sustainable Future - Teacher Centre) • What do you believe are the most pressing questions, priorities and challenges to the creation of a sustainable society, both locally and globally?

42. References • World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Our Common Future, New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. • AtKisson, A. (1999) Believing Cassandra: An Optimist Looks at a Pessimist's World, Chelsea Green, Vermont. • Dresner, S. (2002) The Principles of Sustainability, Earthscan, London. • Local Agenda 21 Planning Guide. United Nations. • Peter Hardi and Terrence Adan, Assessing Sustainable Development : Principles and Practice.