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Sustainability

Harry J. Stone

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Linear – Sink Model

UnlimitedResources

Organism

Unlimited Sinks

For Wastes

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Sustainability

• “[M]eets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

• Source: World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, London, 1987

• Sustainability “envisages a system whereby economic growth and improvements in quality of life [equity] occur in a coherent, unified way” while maintaining temporal, spatial, and organismal integrity

• Source: Loucks, et al., Sustainability Perspectives for Resources and Business, Boca Raton, 1998

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What???

Sustainability implies that:• Based on my generations’ public policy on the use

and distribution of resources I would be willing to change places with my great-great-great grandchild, expecting his/her quality of life to be equal to or better than mine

• Their air and water is clean and healthy, a similar diversity of animals and plants still grow in abundance in healthy natural ecosystems, comparable efforts yield equivalent material goods and necessities, resources have not been used to scarcity

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Sustainability Is Balance of Values

• Economic impacts short and long term

•Societal impacts short and long term

•Long-term preservation of biodiversity through appropriate habitat preservation

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Economic Value(Markets)

…the inherent need of an economic system to continually yield a profit by creating consumer demand for new products, even where this means expanding the ecosystem to the point where it exceeds its physical limits to growth or its ‘carrying capacity’

(Hannigan, 1995, 19)

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Social Equity Value(Government Distribution)

• It is good to ensure socio-geographical justice and equity as well as intergenerational equity

• Improve poverty, health, education, environmental externalities, discrimination -- now and for future generations

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Biodiversity Value(Government Protection)

• It is good to maintain the diversity of genes, species, populations, habitats, ecosystems and landscapes and their normal processes

• “A thing is right when it tends to disturb the biotic community only at normal spatial and temporal scales. It is wrong when it tends otherwise”

(Meffe, et al., 1997, 52)

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Business Decision Drivers

Survival

Need for Profit (Cash)

Need for Compliance

CorporateMission

StakeholderNeeds

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Lifecycle Costing• Borne by Company

• Raw materials• Labor• Transportation In• Regulatory compliance

(Mfg.)• Warranty• Waste disposal• Post-disposal risk• Taxes

• Borne by Customers• Cost of acquisition

• Cost of use (energy, repair, supplies)

• Cost of disposal

• Taxes

• Transportation In

• Borne by Others• Air and water emissions

• Natural resource depletion

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Need for Compliance• Perceived risk vs. cost of compliance

(NIMBL)• EH&S person – often viewed as EPA –

distrust, expensive, makes life more difficult

• Knowledge of lower-cost compliant options• Substitution• Pollution Prevention

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Corporate Mission• Sets overall tone for company

• Often includes goals related to being good corporate citizens

• Products, markets, geographic scope, role, function, driving force, strategic focus, stakeholder objectives

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Stakeholder Needs

• Stockholders• Profit, growth, ROI• Don’t embarrass

• Employees• Safe workplace, pay, benefits• Job security

• Community• Jobs• Community EH&S

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Environmental Organizations

• National groups with broad or narrow protection focus – e.g., Sierra Club

• Local groups with protection focus (BANANA, NIABY, NOPE, CAVE)

• Local groups with community (NIMBY, LULU)

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Environmental Justice

Don’t unfairly burden a class of citizens with:

• Morbidity and mortality from pollution

• Economic impacts of pollution

• Dislocations from pollution

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Neoclassical Economic View

• Anthropocentric – unlimited economic growth, material consumption, scientific and technological progress

• Created goods can substitute for natural goods• Technological assumption – optimistic• NNW = GDP + Nonmarket output – externality

costs – pollution abatement and cleanup – depreciation of natural and created capital

• Threats -- hunger, poverty, war, disease, natural disaster

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Deep Ecology• Biocentrism – holistic balance with nature,

recycling, environmental and social justice, voluntary simplicity

• Natural and created goods are compliments• Technological assumption – pessimism• I = P*A*T (Neomalthusian)• Dominant threat – ecosystem collapse and

unnatural disasters

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Sustainability Is Balance

• Economic impacts short and long term

• Societal impacts short and long term

• Ecosystem impacts long term

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Sustainability Vector

Eco-Resource Security

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Sec

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Requirements for Sustainability

"Sustainable global development requires that those who are more affluent adopt lifestyles within the planet's ecological means."

"Sustainable development can only be pursued if population size and growth are in harmony with the changing productive potential of the ecosystem."

World Commission on the Environment and Development

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UN Sustainable Development Indicators Areas (Examples)

Social

• Combat poverty

• Promote education

• Protect human health

Economic

• Consumption pattern

• Financial resources

Environmental

• Agriculture and rural development

• Combat deforestation

• Conserve biodiversity

• Protect atmosphere

• Ecologically sound biotechnology

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Sustainable CincinnatiOutcome

• 10-20 indicators reflecting important community values

• Multidimensional interconnecting environment, economy and equity

• Easily understood by the public

• Apply to Greater Cincinnati

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Sustainable CincinnatiProcess

• Data driven

• Led by balanced steering team of organizational representatives

• Broad public involvement - consensus

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Community Capital

•Natural capital •Natural resources •Services provided for human activity •Ability of natural environment to maintain its long-term health

•Human/social capital •Connectedness to people and community •Education, skills and health of population

•Financial/Built capital •Manufactured goods, buildings, infrastructure •Information resources •Credit and debt

 

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Sustainability Indicators

•Number of hours working at the average wage needed to pay for basic needs •Acres of land redeveloped •Number of acres of farmland remaining in the county •Percent of food produced locally •Annual fuel consumption and number of vehicle miles traveled •Dollars spent in local community that stay local •Percent of goods made from recycled material •Annual harvest of timber compared to growth rate

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Questions

• Is Sustainability the Answer?