Sustainability Studies

Sustainability studies is an academic discipline that examines sustainability through an interdisciplinary lens. Programs may include instruction in sustainable development, geography, agriculture, environmental policies, ethics, ecology, landscape architecture, urban planning and regional planning, economics, natural resources, sociology, and anthropology. Sustainability studies also consider issues such as climate change, poverty, social justice and environmental justice.

Numerous universities offer degree programs in sustainability studies, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to address environmental challenges.

History

Origins of sustainability studies

Early ideas of sustainability revolved around preventing overexploitation, especially during a game. A large contributor to this was the extinction of the dodo in the late seventeenth century. However, it was not until the end of the nineteenth century that governmental protections began to be put in place to prevent over-hunting.

In the early twentieth century, as environmentalists such as Gene Stratton-Porter advocated for the protection of wildlife, much was done to protect habitats and individual species. This began with the outlawing of hunting certain endangered species, and then the regulation of hunting any species.

Towards the end of the 1980s, environmental concerns and ecological sustainability saw an increase in global attention. The Brundtland Commission, chaired by Norway’s Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, was appointed in 1983 to study the consequences of global environmental change. In 1987, the commission delivered the Brundtland Report, which introduced the concept of sustainable development, defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

Five years after the report was published, the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In 1997, this framework contributed to the creation of the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement for wealthy nations to reduce their carbon emissions. All countries that participated in the UNFCCC also signed the Kyoto Protocol. However, the United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Canada withdrew in 2011, and some other nations did not meet their pledges in the agreement.

In 2015, the UN outlined seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, with a target achievement date of 2030.

Development of the field

While numerous definitions have been proposed since then (e.g.
Pezzoli, 1997
, researchers have suggested that sustainability assessments should integrate economic, environmental, social, and institutional issues and consider their interdependencies; consider the long-term consequences of present actions; acknowledge the uncertainties concerning the result of present actions and act with a precautionary bias; engage the public; and include intragenerational and intergenerational equity considerations.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a body of the UN, stated in its 2018 Special Report that to maintain global temperatures at moderate levels, "urgent and unprecedented changes are needed" . The report also noted that countries must adhere to the Paris Agreement pledge to keep temperatures rise between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius (°C) to avoid global challenges resulting from climate change, including the eradication of corals and the accelerated melting of Arctic ice caps. According to the IPCC, a rise in temperatures could trigger catastrophic results in the form of intense natural disasters, unpredictable weather conditions and food shortages. The report encourages governments to adopt a policy of "supercharged roll-back of emissions courses that have built up over the past 250 years,” including land use change and new technological development. The IPCC also maintains that carbon dioxide emissions will need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and eliminated by 2050 to meet these goals. While meeting these goals might dramatically increase carbon prices, some scientists warn that the consequences of global warming at the current rate may be far more severe. Current projections estimate that global temperatures could rise by 3°C, prompting scientists to call for significant changes to avert this outcome.

Addressing environmental protection often involves professionals studying sustainable development. This work benefits from interdisciplinary studies, as individuals may focus on mitigating climate conditions and understanding how policy decisions link to areas such as urban planning, sociology, economics, and ecology.

Spheres of sustainability

Sustainability is often described as comprising three major dimensions: the social sphere, the economic sphere, and the environmental sphere. These three spheres are also referred to as the "triple bottom line" or the three pillars of sustainability. While distinct, they represent interconnected aspects affecting societal well-being and planetary health. Some scholars and sustainability professionals describe sustainability as being achieved when the three spheres are in balance:

* ''Social sphere:'' The social sphere examines and fixes issues affecting human populations, along with negative human activities affecting society. Examples of social issues include food insecurity/shortages, housing costs, xtremepoverty, healthcare, and access to proper education. Equity and equal access to opportunities are crucial considerations within the social sphere. This sphere involves subject fields such as sociology, psychology, and anthropology. Nonprofit and government organizations are often central to the social sphere, with policies aimed at social sustainability to often seek at representing all populations and ensure that all human rights are met.

* ''Economic sphere:'' The economic sphere focuses on economical performance and activity in an area, with consumerism often central to this dimension. Individuals, countries, and organizations working in business/finance are included in this sphere. In the context of sustainable development, businesses are encouraged to establish efficient practices and policies for development and growth that limit potential risks to the environment of the planet.

* ''Environmental sphere:'' The environmental sphere promotes the health of the physical Earth. This dimension evaluates environmental issues and proposes solutions to problems that could be implemented at any level from a room in a house, all the way up to a global level. Examples of environmental issues include natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.), rising temperatures, pollution, energy resources, and deforestation of massive rainforest, such as the Amazon Rainforest. Environmentally friendly scientists and activists are closely associated with this sphere.

Sustainability is an interdisciplinary subject, and these three spheres are often represented as overlapping like a Venn diagram. The intersection of the social and economic spheres relates to concepts such as social justice. The intersection of the economic and environmental spheres gives rise to the subject of environmental stewardship. Environmental justice is a concept that arises from the intersection of the environmental and social spheres.

Social justice

Social justice in the context of sustainability aims to ensure equitable opportunities and living conditions, alongside economic stability. Issues within social justice include the allocation of funding for welfare programs and the balance between supporting citizens and maintaining government functions. Another common social justice concern surrounds workers' rights. Policies regarding safe working conditions and fair wages address the fair treatment of workers. For example, fair trade certification on products aims to verify that the resources used to produce the item meet certain ethical standards.

Environmental stewardship

Environmental stewardship involves collaboration between businesses and environment-centered initiatives. Practices associated with environmental stewardship aim to benefit the environment and can sometimes result in cost savings for businesses. Organizations may seek to reduce waste by switching from plastic to paper packaging or recycling unused products. Businesses might also look for ways to manage energy more efficiently, such as using a renewable energy source rather than nonrenewable and limiting production times.

Environmental justice

Environmental justice is the intersection between social and environmental issues; it examines how environmental issues and protections disproportionately affect different populations. Climate change events like natural disasters, increased temperatures, and unpredictable weather patterns can disproportionately impact lower-income and impoverished communities, which often lack the resources to move away from affected neighborhoods. An example of an environmental justice issue in the United States is the lack of properly working septic tanks in Lowndes County, Alabama. In her book ''Waste: A Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret'', Catherine Coleman Flowers discusses the environmental issues this impoverished community faces. In this predominantly African American area, many residents live with raw sewage in their backyards because they cannot afford to buy or install a septic system. Furthermore, these residents can be criminally charged for not having working septic tanks, even though they may not have the means to repair them. Coleman Flowers and other environmental justice advocates have advocated for justice for the residents of Lowndes County.

A key concern in environmental justice is the impact that climate change events have on developing nations. Former Irish President Mary Robinson published "Climate Justice," a book that shares stories of people in countries around the world addressing climate change. Robinson presents the story of Constance Okollet, a resident of Uganda, who faces regular seasons of floods and droughts, making food and clean water difficult to obtain. An activist from Vietnam, Vu Thi Hien, shares the impacts that war and deforestation have had on her country's land and people. The former president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, has considered relocating the entire nation because of rising sea levels. Robinson's book presents case studies from developing nations to highlight the disparate global impacts of climate change.

Careers in sustainability studies

Sustainability studies emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to environmental problems, drawing from fields such as:

* Law
* Politics
* Policy and planning
* Journalism
* Business and Architectural design
* Marine sciences
* Sustainability professionals
* Urban planning
* Agriculture
* Pharmaceutical industry
* Herbal medicine

In the United States, professionals in sustainability studies earned between $75,000 and $93,000 per year on average in 2017, based on salaries in engineering and environmental sciences. Chief sustainability executives earned an average of $167,000.

Criticism

The Sustainable Development Goals have been criticised for being broad, difficult to measure, and potentially inconsistent. Critics argue that tensions may arise between socio-economic development goals and environmental sustainability objectives, making implementation and monitoring challenging. Additionally, the goals are non-binding, with unclear financial commitments and varying national strategies. Some analyses suggest that while environmental policies are essential, developed countries may need to prioritize social and environmental issues, whereas developing nations might initially focus more on economic and social development.

See also

* List of environmental degrees
* List of sustainability topics
* Sustainability science

References

{{Sustainability, state=collapsed
Environmental studies
Sustainability