Sustainable Development: An Introduction Rinki Jain Email: [email protected] Associate Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) 8 December 2014 International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development (iCED) Jaipur Structure of lecture Part I: Theoretical understanding of sustainable development and related concepts Part II: Case study PART I: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CONCEPTS AND EVOLUTION QUESTION What do you understand by sustainable development? Sustainable Development: Global Genesis DEFINITION 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. (Chapter 2, Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainable Development: Indian Context Seventh Five Year Plan (1985-1990) • “If the gains in productivity are to be sustained, resources must also continue to be available over time. This requires that, while providing for current needs, the resources base be managed so as to enable sustainable development.” (Volume 2, Chapter 18) The Constitution of India • Article 21 conferring the Right to Life encompasses right to clean environment, right to livelihood, right to live with dignity and a number of other associated rights • The Directive Principles of State Policy often referred to as the ‘conscience’ of the Constitution are intended to ensure ‘distributive justice’ and that political democracy in India is accompanied side by side with social and economic democracy The National Environment Policy • “only such development is sustainable, which respects ecological constraints and the imperatives of social justice” Sustainable Development: Indian Context • The ideology of sustainable development was a part of Seventh Five Year Plan and predates the United National Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 • National Environment Policy, 2006 of India articulates that sustainable development should respect ecological constraints while harmonize the imperatives of social justice • In the context of sustainable development and India, it is evident that sustainable development has been much more than a narrative and is deeply embedded in Indian culture and in the ideology of development; tradition in India has always embraced sustainability • For developing countries sustainable development and related concepts like green economy will be linked to social pillar and inclusivity Green Economy • A green economy recognises that the goal of sustainable development is improving the quality of human life within the constraints of the environment, which include combating global climate change, energy insecurity, and ecological scarcity (UNEP 2011). Components of Sustainable Development: Dominant View Figure Three pillars of sustainable development • Three pillars of sustainable development Sustainable development – Economic – Social – Environmental • Achievements – policy mainstreaming and consensus building Social Economic – Responsible corporate Environmental conduct – Formal and informal institutions working together Governance • Criticisms – Compartmentalized – Leading to Isolated actions? Inspired by Our Common Future, 1987; World Summit, 2005 – An oxymoron? – Fuzziness? Components of Sustainable Development: Emerging View Figure Interfaces of the components of sustainable development • Also focus on interfaces Institutions around components of sustainable development Social Social • Social ecology (social and Ecology environment) • Green economy (economic and environment) Environment Sustainable Social Equity Development • Social equity (social and economic) Green Economy Economy GoI (2010), official submission to UNCSD second preparatory committee meeting, pg 30 Institutions and stakeholders Source: MoEF-TERI (2011) • Major Groups • Governments • International community QUESTION Why sustainable development? Multiple drivers and discussion around SD • Global environment issues – Climate change – Biodiversity loss – Land degradation • Traditional security – Conflicts and wars • Non-traditional security – Energy – Food – Water – Others • Global integration • Inequity – intra-generational inequity – Inter-regional inequity – Inter-generational inequity – The question of fairness • Financial crises Sustainable Development A timeline Key principles • Rio principles (27; International policy) • Agenda 21 and JPOI • The precautionary principle (General) • United Nations Global Compact (Corporate) • Other – The triple bottom line (abbreviated as TBL or 3BL, and also known as people, planet, profit or the three pillars (Corporate) – The Equator Principles (EPs) (Banking) – The precautionary principle (General) – Biomimicry (Design and architecture) – EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Global Policy: Some developments United Nations General Assembly to agree on Post- 2015 Sustainable Development Goals - The Outcome Document of the United Nations Open Working Group on the Post-2015 Development Agenda including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will form the basis. SDGs are supposed to be action oriented, global in nature and universally applicable to all countries, while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/focussdgs.html Global Policy: Some developments List of Proposed Sustainable Development Goals to be attained by 2030 1. End poverty everywhere 2. End hunger, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 3. Attain healthy lives for all 4. Provide quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all 5. Attain gender equality, empower women and girls everywhere 6. Ensure availability and sustainable use of water and sanitation for all 7. Ensure sustainable energy for all 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 9. Promote sustainable infrastructure and industrialization and foster innovation 10. Reduce inequality within and between countries 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and sustainable 12. Promote sustainable consumption and production patterns 13. Tackle climate change and its impacts 14. Conserve and promote sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources 15. Protect and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, halt desertification, land degradation and biodiversity loss 16. Achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all, and effective and capable institutions 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and the global partnership for sustainable development http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/focussdgs.html QUESTION Can we measure sustainable development? Framework • Social • Economic • Environmental • Institutional Social Theme Sub-theme Indicator Equity Percent of population living below poverty line Poverty Gini index of income inequality Unemployment rate Gender equality Ratio of average female wage to male wage Nutritional status Nutritional status of children Mortality Mortality rate under 5 years old Infant mortality rate Life expectancy at birth Health Sanitation Percent of population with adequate sewage disposal facilities Drinking water Population with access to safe drinking water Percent of population with access to primary health care facilities Healthcare delivery Immunization against infectious childhood diseases Contraceptive prevalence rate Education Education level Children reaching grade 5 of primary education Adult secondary education achievement level Economic Theme Sub-theme Indicator Economic performance GDP per capita Investment share in GDP Trade Balance of trade in goods and Economic services structure Debt to GNP ratio Total ODA given or received as Financial status a percent of GNP Fiscal Deficit Intensity of material use Annual energy consumption Material consumption per capita Share of consumption of renewable energy resources Consumption and production Energy use per unit of patterns Energy use per unit of by Energy use sector Intensity of energy use: Transportation Energy Imports Environmental Theme Sub-theme Indicator Atmosphere Climate change Emissions of greenhouse gases Ozone layer depletion Consumption of ozone depleting substances Air quality Ambient concentration of air pollutants in urban areas Arable and permanent crop land area Per hectare food grain production Land Agriculture Percentage of gross cropped area irrigated Use of fertilizers Institutional Theme Sub-theme Indicator Institutional Strategic implementation of National sustainable framework SD development strategy International cooperation Implementation of ratified global agreements Science and technology Expenditure on research and development Institutional capacity Disaster preparedness and Economic and human loss response due to natural disasters Communication Main telephone lines per Infrastructure 1000 inhabitants Information Access Number of internet subscribers per 1000 inhabitants Life Cycle Assessment Environment • Aims to consider Extraction all processes & Processing from “cradle to grave” Energy Production Emission •