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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Principles of Sustainable Development
Illia State University March 21, 2013 Tbilisi, Georgia Dr. Rob Melnick, Executive Dean and Presidential Professor
Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability
Arizona State University, U.S.A.
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“The power of
population is
indefinitely
greater than the
power in the
earth to produce
subsistence for
man.”
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Positive checks:
hunger, disease, war
Preventive checks:
abortion, birth
control, prostitution,
celibacy
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“…overshoot and
collapse of the
global system by
the mid to latter
part of the 21st
century.”
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Technology will
dissipate the threat
of an energy crisis,
reduce pollution,
feed the world, and
vastly improve the
quality of life.”
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Our current model
of economic
success is flawed.
For the advanced
economies
prosperity without
growth… is a
financial and
ecological
necessity.”
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
The period in the Earth’s history when
human activity is having a significant impact
on global ecological, economic and social
systems.
The “Anthropocene Era”
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Source: Global Carbon Project, 2012
Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions:
Top Emitters
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
1941 2004
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
It took the United States 300 years to reach
300 billion square feet of real estate.
China will add 300 billion square feet of real
estate in the next 20 years.
Source: Pegasus Capital Advisors
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Population growth
United Nations 2010
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
United Nations 2010
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
2 Earths?
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Current model of (world) development
Unsustainable! The planet cannot sustain
present consumption patterns (especially of
western, industrialized countries).
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Premier Wen Jiabao has been widely quoted as saying the Chinese economy is unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable.
Growth will be necessary to create jobs, opportunities, and wealth. What must happen is a redefinition of growth–as Wen has pointed out–’ensuring and improving people’s well-being as the starting point and goal’” Can China Get Beyond Growth? Pamela Mar, Fung Global Institute, March, 2013
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Assumption of infinite, linear
economic growth must evolve to new
models of joint, interactive, non-linear
social-economic-ecological systems.
Aggarwal 2012
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Can a Country Commit to
Sustainable Development?
Tier 1 Minimal, if any
Su
sta
ina
bil
ity A
mb
itio
n
Tier 2 Eco-efficiency
Tier 3 Sustainability integrated into growth
strategies
Tier 4 Core national value: change society
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
• Consequences of climate change
• Extreme poverty
• Food security
• Water supply
• Energy supply
• Public health
• Security
• Civil society
What’s at stake?
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
How do we bring about positive
social and economic transformations
while respecting critical planetary
boundaries?
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Development: A process of evolution, from a lower to a higher state.
Underdeveloped: Not yet fully actualized. Not on the same path of modernization as Western countries.
Sustainable development: Trajectory where allocation of resources (natural, financial, human) indefinitely improves the quality of life without doing damage.
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Characteristics of
sustainable development
• Spans boundaries
• Anticipates the future
• Engages stakeholders
• Values-driven
• Analyzes tradeoffs
• Problem-driven
• Focuses on solutions
• Considers scale
• Acknowledges complexity
• Long-term perspective
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
• No simple solutions
• Solutions typically impact all sectors
• Competing goals
• Challenges are urgent
• Hard to develop policies for
• Hard to measure
• Spans boundaries
Sustainable Development
Isn’t Easy
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
How do we…
• design healthy cities?
• secure affordable energy
for a growing population?
• make the best use of
natural resources?
• ensure access to clean
water?
• adapt to climate change?
• create sustainable global
development?
• understand social
transformation?
• balance prosperity with
social and environmental
justice?
• determine which tradeoffs
to make?
Big picture questions for
sustainable development
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Myths about sustainable development, #1
Sustainable development is
only about protecting the
environment
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Myths about sustainable development, #2
Sustainable development is
just a preference for the
natural over the artificial
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Myths about sustainable development, #3
Sustainability is a creation of
liberals
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Myths about sustainable development, #4
Sustainable development will
decrease quality of life
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Economic dynamism can be
combined with environmental and
social responsibility. High financial
returns can go hand in hand with respect
for human rights, and the preservation
of the planet’s natural resources.”
David Miliband, former UK Foreign Minister
(*Logo from the IESE Doing Good and Doing Well Conference)
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“There are no passengers
on spaceship earth. We are
all crew.”
Marshall McLuhan, Canadian Educator
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Sustainability Science
“a field defined by the problems
it addresses rather than by the
disciplines it employs, it advances
both knowledge and action by creating
a dynamic bridge between the two.” Adapted from Clark, Harvard University, 2007
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Things may turn out okay Expend lots of money and political capital for no reason
Worldwide economic, environmental, social disasters
Things turn out okay and save lots of money and political capital
Dire Predictions Correct Dire Predictions Incorrect
Risk matrix for unsustainable
global development W
e D
on
’t A
ct W
e A
ct
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Meeting the needs of present
generations, while not compromising
the needs of future generations to
meet their own needs.”
United Nations Brundtland Commission
“Treating the Earth as though we
intend to stay.”
Sir Crispin Tickell, Former British Ambassador
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Need to redefine what we mean
by development. It is no longer
relevant only for poor countries.
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Haves and have-nots”:
countries, regions, communities,
families, individuals
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Living together well.”
Peter Senge, MIT
My favorite definition of sustainability…
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“Indicators of development”:
poverty/income, equality, liberty,
condition of the environment,
literacy, consumption, others.
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Concept of the “future we want”
…society, economy, environment.
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Interface’s
“Seven Faces of Mt. Sustainability”
• Eliminate Waste
• Benign Emissions
• Renewable Energy
• Closed Loop
• Resource-Efficient
Transportation
• Sensitizing Stakeholders
• Redesign Commerce
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Culture/History
Political System
Geography Demographics
Values/Norms
Sustainable development “factors”
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
“We are seeing the birth of a new
perspective of the world, where ecology
and economics are two sides of the
same coin.”
Leif Johansson, Swedish CEO
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Sustainability
Science
Use-inspired research that
contributes to solutions to
practical problems
Focuses on human-
technology-environment
interactions
Focuses on utilization of
knowledge
Placed-based scale and
global scale
Core aim that cuts across all
challenges: sustainability is
the outcome
Sustainable
Development?
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
• Culture can be a the source of unsustainable practices.
“An unrestrained culture of consumption”
• Culture can lead to sustainable development.
“A new culture of conservation”
• Applying sustainabilty principles confronts issues of culture and values.
(Adapted from Cardenas, Golub, Hirt, McGregor 2012)
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University
Sustain what?
Why?
For who’s benefit?
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Global Institute of Sustainability/School of Sustainability/Arizona State University