CHAPTER 9

SUSTAINABILITY
DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Meeting the needs of the present generation
without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.

meeting the needs,

the present
compromise
ability of future generations
meet their own needs

 SD is an approach that will permit continuing

improvements in the quality of life with a
lower intensity of resource use, thereby
leaving behind for future generations an
undiminished or even enhanced stock of
natural resources and other assets.

SUSTAINABILITY
The possibility that human
and other forms of life on earth
will flourish forever.

Enough, for all, forever.

Different views
Three approaches
Economic: Maximize income while maintaining a
constant or increasing stock of capital
Ecological: Maintaining resilience and robustness of
biological and physical systems
Socio-cultural: Maintaining the stability of social and
cultural systems

Elements of sustainability
Environment
biodiversity
materials
energy
biophysical interactions

- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

Elements of sustainability
money and capital
employment
technological growth
investment
market forces

Economy
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

Elements of sustainability
human diversity (cultural, linguistic, ethnic)
equity (dependence / independence)
quality of life
institutional structures and organization
political structures

Society
- World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

SOCIETAL SUSTAINABILITY
QUALITY OF LIFE

Environmental

MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable
Municipality
(28 Indicators)
Economic Security
Employment participation
Unemployment rate
Household shelter spending
% Low income people
Household debt
Infrastructure &
Built Environment
Density
Green buildings
Green transportation use
Local food production
Renewable energy
Clean tech business opportunity

Ecological Integrity
Water quality & consumption
Green space
Air quality
Waste diversion,
GHG emission reduction
Urban biodiversity
Social Well-being
Life satisfaction Crime rate
Health and access to care
Cultural Events Homelessness
Governance & Empowerment
Education
Voter turnout
City council diversity
Household garbage limit
GHG reduction target

Corporate Knights 5th Annual Sustainable Cities Rankings, Winter 2011

MOST SUSTAINABLE CANADIAN CITIES

Ecological
Integrity

Economic
Security

Governce &
Empowernt

Infrastructure
& Built Envirt

Social
Well-Being

Large Cities

Total

Toronto

5.5

6.2

7.9

7.3

7.7

6.9

Edmonton

7.1

6.2

5.3

4.7

7.2

6.1

Ottawa

4.8

7.3

6.0

4.1

7.6

6.0

Calgary

5.8

6.6

5.5

4.5

7.6

6.0

Montreal

5.2

4.4

5.3

6.8

7.5

5.8

Vancouver

6.5

6.0

7.6

7.7

7.5

7.1

Mississauga

5.5

7.6

5.7

5.3

7.6

6.3

Halifax

6.3

7.1

6.7

4.3

6.8

6.2

Hamilton

5.2

7.5

6.8

4.0

6.8

6.1

Quebec

4.5

8.4

5.9

3.7

7.7

6.1

Winnipeg

4.6

7.4

5.0

5.5

6.9

5.9

Medium Cities

Corporate Knights 5th Annual Sustainable Cities Rankings, Feb. 2011

MOST SUSTAINABLE SMALL CITIES

Ecological
Integrity

Economic
Security

Governce &
Empowernt

Infrastructure
& Built Envirt

Social
Well-Being

Small Cities

Total

Victoria

5.2

7.2

7.2

7.6

8.2

7.1

Saskatoon

4.7

7.4

6.6

4.5

7.4

6.1

Saint John

4.6

8.2

5.5

4.6

7.5

6.1

Yellowknife

5.7

6.4

6.1

4.3

7.6

6.0

Charlottetown

4.6

6.3

5.2

5.4

7.3

5.8

Whitehorse

4.7

5.7

6.9

2.8

6.5

5.3

Corporate Knights 5th Annual Sustainable Cities Rankings, Feb. 2011

Economic dimension
Capital: produces a stream of goods and
services into the future
Financial capital
Manufactured capital; durable capital
Human capital; stocks of learned skills
Intellectual capital; accumulation of knowledge and
skills not embodied in individuals
Social capital; Set of institutions and customs
Natural capital; renewable and nonrenewable

Weak vs Strong sustainability

Weak sustainability; man made and natural
capital substitutable. Sum must be non-
declining
Implications?

Strong sustainability; man made and natural

capital with limited substitutability, each stock
must be non-declining separately
Implications?

Strong or weak?
Robert Repetto Economic Approach
The core idea of sustainability is that current
decisions should not impair the prospects for
maintaining or improving future living
standards. This implies that our economic
system should be managed so we can live off
the dividends of our resources.
Resources all resources

Economic dimension
Jonathan Harris Tufts U
An economically sustainable system must be
able to produce goods and services on a
continuing basis, to maintain manageable size
of government and external debt and to avoid
sectoral imbalances (maintain diversity)

Environmental dimension
D. Pearce
Sustainable development is (1) development subject
to a set of constraints which set resource harvest
rates at levels not higher than managed natural
regeneration rates and (2) use of the environment as
a waste sink on the basis that waste disposal rates
should not exceed rates of managed or natural
assimilative capacity of the ecosystem

Quantifiable
Managed or natural regeneration rate
Forest resource
X1 biomass removed/unit time
X2 biomass regenerated/unit time
X1<=X2

Managed or natural waste assimilative capacity

Wastewater effluent
Y1 = PPM discharged BOD/unit time
Y2 = PPM BOD capacity /unit time
Y1<=Y2

Environmental dimension
Jonathan Harris Tufts U
A stable resource base, do not overwhelm the
waste assimilative ability of the environment
nor the regenerative services of the
environment, deplete non-renewables only to
the extent we invest in renewable substitutes.

Social Dimension
Jonathan Harris Tufts U
Achieve distributional equity, adequate
provision of social services including health
and education, gender equity and political
accountability and participation

3 Approaches

Economic Approach to SD
Robert Repetto
The core idea of sustainability is that current
decisions should not impair the prospects for
maintaining or improving future living
standards. This implies that our economic
system should be managed so we can live off
the dividends of our resources.
Resources all resources

Ecological approach to SD
IUCN
SD is about maintenance of essential
ecological processes and life support systems,
the preservation of genetic diversity and the
sustainable utilization of species and
ecosystems

Social Approach to SD
Ed Barbier
SD is directly concerned with increasing the
standard of living of the poor, which can be
measured in terms of increased food, real
income, education, health care, water supply,
sanitation and only indirectly concerned with
economic growth at the aggregate.

The principle
Protect the environment and at the same time
fulfill economic and social objectives
Operational criteria:
Economic objectives should not be maximized without
satisfying environmental and social constraints
Environmental benefits should not be maximized without
satisfying economic and social constraints
Social benefits should not be maximized without satisfying
economic and environmental constraints

The principle meant to deliver

1. Economic growth and equity; not leaving any
region behind
2. Conserving natural resources and the
environment; for us and future generations
3. Social development; Ensure rich fabric of social
and cultural diversity, ensure rights of workers,
empowerment and at the same time ensure
jobs, education, food, health care, energy etc.

Sustainability: PROBLEMS
Depletion of finite resources
fuels, soil, minerals, species
Over-use of renewable resources
forests, fish & wildlife, fertility, public funds
Pollution
air, water, soil
Inequity
economic, political, social, gender
Species loss
endangered species and spaces

- WCED, 1987

Sustainability: SOLUTIONS

Cyclical material use

emulate natural cycles; 3 Rs
Safe reliable energy
conservation, renewable energy,
substitution, interim measures
Life-based interests
health, creativity, communication,
coordination, appreciation, learning,
intellectual and spiritual development

The Power of SD Remains Dormant

Locked in Isolated Issues
Clean
Air

AIDS
Prevention
Climate
Change

Equity

Sustainable
Consumption
Poverty
Eradication

Sustainable
Development

Population
Growth

Peace
Bio-
diversity

Many Paths to SD

Good legislation/governance
Economic incentives
Overcoming corruption
Environmental protection
Human rights/security
Infrastructure (roads to banking)
40 issues identified in Agenda 21

Nine ways to achieve sustainability

1. Leave everything in pristine state, or return it to
pristine state
2. Develop so as to not overwhelm carrying capacity of
the system
3. Sustainability will take care of itself as economic
growth proceeds (Kuznets)
4. Polluter and victim can arrive at an efficient solution
by themselves (Coase)
5. Let the market take care of it!

Nine ways to achieve sustainability?

6. Internalize externalities
7. Reinvest rents for nonrenewable resources
8. Let the national economic accounting systems reflect
defensive expenditures
9. Leave for future generations the options or the
capacity to be as well off as we are

One example:

Guideposts for Sustainability

(after Nickerson, 1993)

Activities are sustainable when they:

1.
2.
3.

Use materials in continuous cycles.

Use continuously reliable sources of
energy.
Encourage desirable human traits
(equity; creativity; communication;
coordination; appreciation; intellectual
and spiritual development).

Guideposts for Sustainability

Activities are not sustainable when they:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Require continual inputs of non-renewable

resources.
Use renewable resources faster than their
rate of renewal.
Cause cumulative degradation of the
environment.
Require resources in quantities that could
never be available for people everywhere.
Lead to the extinction of other life forms.

Recap
What is sustainable development?
Why sustainable development is important?
List three categories of sustainablity
development.
What is the relationship between sustainable
development and public health?
How to improve sustainable development