Sustainability

Class 2Class 2

Part 3Part 3

Definition: Sustainability

Ecosystem that maintains the same general Ecosystem that maintains the same general structure, processes, interrelationships, and structure, processes, interrelationships, and patterns after human usepatterns after human use

i.e. these factors (structure, composition, i.e. these factors (structure, composition, processes, etc,) are between the bounds of processes, etc,) are between the bounds of natural variationnatural variation

Ecosystem integrity (commonly referred to Ecosystem integrity (commonly referred to as “health”) maintainedas “health”) maintained

3 components of sustainability

Long term Long term Sustains ecosystem healtSustains ecosystem health (productivity and h (productivity and

biodiversity)biodiversity) Provides for needs of peopleProvides for needs of people

Sustainable development

Coined in the Bruntland Report to the U.N.Coined in the Bruntland Report to the U.N. Use of ecosystems maintains ecosystem Use of ecosystems maintains ecosystem

integrity and does not compromise integrity and does not compromise opportunities of future generationsopportunities of future generations

Has become a “buzz word”Has become a “buzz word”

Key to sustainability

Need to link ecosystems and social systemsNeed to link ecosystems and social systems Soil

Water

Air

Sun

People

Processes

Biota

Citizens

Governance

Businesses

Markets

Infrastructure

Technology

+

Social Institution & Ecosystem

Functions of ecosystems affected by social Functions of ecosystems affected by social institutionsinstitutions

E.g. property rights affect resource useE.g. property rights affect resource use Social institutions depend on cultural Social institutions depend on cultural

historyhistory James Bay Cree: communal property James Bay Cree: communal property Western culture: state laws Western culture: state laws

Social Institution & Ecosystem

Major changes in societal institutions or Major changes in societal institutions or ecosystems will affect bothecosystems will affect both

E.g. E.g. timber market changes will affect timber market changes will affect

employment and resource use employment and resource use Insect defoliation will affect tree growth, Insect defoliation will affect tree growth,

timber supply, employmenttimber supply, employment

Social Institution & Ecosystem

E.g.E.g. Fish processing technology will affect Fish processing technology will affect

harvest practices, productivity, marketharvest practices, productivity, market Climate/nutrients change will affect fish Climate/nutrients change will affect fish

population hence fish supply and marketspopulation hence fish supply and markets

Social Institution & Ecosystem

Sustainable industry must operate in a Sustainable industry must operate in a human constructed world human constructed world and alsoand also the the natural worldnatural world

Look for an explicit environmental Look for an explicit environmental statementstatement

Most human institutions are blind to the Most human institutions are blind to the environmentenvironment

Learning from nature

Ecosystems have Ecosystems have positivepositive and and negativenegative feed feed back systemsback systems

Population growth: positive feed back: Population growth: positive feed back: more individuals begat more!more individuals begat more!

Competition for scarce resources e.g. of Competition for scarce resources e.g. of negative feed back: prevents exponential negative feed back: prevents exponential growthgrowth

Positive and negative feed back

Late successional forest more flammableLate successional forest more flammable Early successional deciduous forest less Early successional deciduous forest less

flammableflammable Fire suppression: increase in late Fire suppression: increase in late

successional forestsuccessional forest

Learning from native people

James Bay Cree important hunters of James Bay Cree important hunters of animal populationsanimal populations

Have developed feed back systems to Have developed feed back systems to control harvestcontrol harvest

Beaver harvested where its food supply Beaver harvested where its food supply limitedlimited

Trap for 2-4 years then leave untrapped for Trap for 2-4 years then leave untrapped for 6-8 yrs 6-8 yrs

Examples of feed back responses in our culture Reduced population has often led to Reduced population has often led to

increased harvest pressure (many examples increased harvest pressure (many examples in fish industry in Canada (cod, fresh water in fish industry in Canada (cod, fresh water fish) and elsewhere (Peruvian anchovy)fish) and elsewhere (Peruvian anchovy)

Business in a free market based on Business in a free market based on consumer satisfaction biased towards consumer satisfaction biased towards positive feed back: more we sell more positive feed back: more we sell more profitable we are profitable we are

Examples of feed back responses in our culture Citizens create negative feed back systems Citizens create negative feed back systems

through regulations through regulations Consumers through choice create negative Consumers through choice create negative

feed back systems (e.g. certification)feed back systems (e.g. certification)

What do we need to implement sustainable development? Knowledge about ecosystem processesKnowledge about ecosystem processes Key features and ability to measure themKey features and ability to measure them Inventory of key featuresInventory of key features Monitoring programMonitoring program

How do we implement?

Citizens through their governmentsCitizens through their governments Consumers through their choicesConsumers through their choices

Regulatory

Punitive regulations (e.g. fine for Punitive regulations (e.g. fine for contravention)contravention)

Incentive based regulations (e.g. lower tax Incentive based regulations (e.g. lower tax for meeting or surpassing standard)for meeting or surpassing standard)

Punitive regulations

Most commonMost common Forest, fishing, hunting, pollution control Forest, fishing, hunting, pollution control

laws, etc.laws, etc. Must be enforceableMust be enforceable Must have support of important Must have support of important

stakeholdersstakeholders Must be impervious to corruptionMust be impervious to corruption

Incentive based regulations

Less commonLess common Create market to trade when standards Create market to trade when standards

surpassedsurpassed E.g. E.g.

set limit for S0set limit for S0x x emissionsemissions

Emissions lower, sell surplus to those Emissions lower, sell surplus to those that did not meet themthat did not meet them

Incentive based regulations

Suitable for pollution abatementSuitable for pollution abatement Require sophisticated monitoring and Require sophisticated monitoring and

enforcement systemsenforcement systems Useful when abatement technology not Useful when abatement technology not

available (creates conditions to develop available (creates conditions to develop innovations)innovations)

Consumer choice

Consumer purchase (independent source of Consumer purchase (independent source of reliable information and an activist reliable information and an activist consumer)consumer)

Certification (simplifies information)Certification (simplifies information) Conservation concessionsConservation concessions

Certification

Green labellingGreen labelling Began in 1977 with introduction of Blue Began in 1977 with introduction of Blue

Angel program in W. Germany to reduce Angel program in W. Germany to reduce anxiety on environmental impact of anxiety on environmental impact of products they purchasedproducts they purchased

ExamplesExamples Organic food, timber, shade coffee, tunaOrganic food, timber, shade coffee, tuna

Certification

Usually done by third partyUsually done by third party Provide market based incentives as a Provide market based incentives as a

reward for better practicereward for better practice Incentive to:Incentive to:

Increase or maintain market shareIncrease or maintain market share Assess new marketsAssess new markets Command price premiumCommand price premium

Certification

Competing certification systems confusingCompeting certification systems confusing Not always perceived as transparentNot always perceived as transparent Useful where governments are Useful where governments are

weak/corruptweak/corrupt Timber certification began due to lack of Timber certification began due to lack of

action by tropical timber supply countriesaction by tropical timber supply countries

Limits to certification Green consumerism works when you have Green consumerism works when you have

an activist consumeran activist consumer Still large markets for non certified productsStill large markets for non certified products Poor do not have the luxury of choicePoor do not have the luxury of choice

80% of wood in Africa used as fuel80% of wood in Africa used as fuel Almost all timber in Madagascar used Almost all timber in Madagascar used

locallylocally Coffee & cocoa production sometimes lead Coffee & cocoa production sometimes lead

to gluts = low price to producerto gluts = low price to producer

Conservation concessions

Bid on lands auctioned for loggingBid on lands auctioned for logging People forgo logging, bid price used locally People forgo logging, bid price used locally

to develop eco-tourism or extraction to develop eco-tourism or extraction compatible with local needs and forest compatible with local needs and forest integrityintegrity

Uses international Uses international willingness to paywillingness to pay for for conservationconservation

Conservation concessions

New, so not commonNew, so not common Useful in high diversity locationsUseful in high diversity locations Require changes in local lawsRequire changes in local laws Require education of local people as well as Require education of local people as well as

international communityinternational community Requires good monitoring systems and Requires good monitoring systems and

annual payment schemeannual payment scheme

Conservation concessions

E.g.E.g. GuatemalaGuatemala 2 million ha Maya Biosphere Reserve2 million ha Maya Biosphere Reserve Includes exploitation zoneIncludes exploitation zone Threats: logging and agricultural invasionThreats: logging and agricultural invasion Concession of 75k ha within multi use Concession of 75k ha within multi use

area to link protected zonesarea to link protected zones

Certification case example:Tuna

Question:can one country promote Question:can one country promote conservation without negative effects on conservation without negative effects on other countries (Tuna/Dolphins/USA)other countries (Tuna/Dolphins/USA)

Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972)Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) Broad support in USABroad support in USA One goal was to reduce incidental killOne goal was to reduce incidental kill

Tuna/Dolphins/USA

Controversy over dolphin kill by tuna fishers Controversy over dolphin kill by tuna fishers Tuna netted in purse seine netsTuna netted in purse seine nets Dolphins swim above tunaDolphins swim above tuna Fishers track dolphins to net tunaFishers track dolphins to net tuna US fishers had to follow new standardsUS fishers had to follow new standards Other countries not following standardsOther countries not following standards MMPA amended 1984 to allow US to embargo MMPA amended 1984 to allow US to embargo

catch from countries not following rules and catch from countries not following rules and trying to sell in UStrying to sell in US

Tuna/Dolphins/USA

Led to challenges by sanctioned nations to WTOLed to challenges by sanctioned nations to WTO A nation could not impose trade barriers when A nation could not impose trade barriers when

these nations did not have any part in developing these nations did not have any part in developing themthem

WTO agreed with sanctioned nations WTO agreed with sanctioned nations Is one reason for protests against WTOIs one reason for protests against WTO US has started to develop multi-nation agreementsUS has started to develop multi-nation agreements Cannot develop laws without consideration of Cannot develop laws without consideration of

other nationsother nations