SustainabilitySustainability

““Sustainability”Sustainability”

Alan HollandAlan Holland

““Framing the Concept of Sustainability: Framing the Concept of Sustainability: A Sustainability Hierarchy”A Sustainability Hierarchy”

Julian D. Marshall Michael W. ToffelJulian D. Marshall Michael W. Toffel

Sustainability DiscoursesSustainability Discourses

Historically linked to I = PAT.Historically linked to I = PAT.

Conceptually linked to the question of Conceptually linked to the question of obligations/responsibilities to future generations of obligations/responsibilities to future generations of people.people.

1972-1990s: Typically couched in terms of sustainable 1972-1990s: Typically couched in terms of sustainable development.development.

1990s-today: Typically couched in terms of weak 1990s-today: Typically couched in terms of weak sustainability or strong sustainability. sustainability or strong sustainability.

I = P x A x TI = P x A x T

I = ImpactI = ImpactP = PopulationP = PopulationA = Affluence (consumption)A = Affluence (consumption)T = Technology (includes pollution)T = Technology (includes pollution)

Paul R. Ehrlich John P. Holdren Paul R. Ehrlich John P. Holdren

Obligations to Future Generations:Obligations to Future Generations:Five Central ProblemsFive Central Problems

1. Ignorance Problem: How can we know what future people will really need and want, 1. Ignorance Problem: How can we know what future people will really need and want,

what rights they might insist upon, and what they will blame us for doing right and what rights they might insist upon, and what they will blame us for doing right and wrong?wrong?

2. Typology of Effects Problem: How can we determine which of our actions will really 2. Typology of Effects Problem: How can we determine which of our actions will really have moral implications for the future?have moral implications for the future?

3. Problem of Intergenerational Trade-Offs: How should a particular generation balance3. Problem of Intergenerational Trade-Offs: How should a particular generation balanceconcern for its own moral and prudential concerns with concern for future concern for its own moral and prudential concerns with concern for future generations?generations?

4. Distance Problem: How far into the future do our moral obligations extend?4. Distance Problem: How far into the future do our moral obligations extend?

5. Saving Stuff Problem: What should we save for future generations—actual natural5. Saving Stuff Problem: What should we save for future generations—actual naturalresources or monetary investments?resources or monetary investments?

Sustainable Development: Sustainable Development: Some OverviewSome Overview

Inaugural Address (1949): President Harry S. Truman claims that Inaugural Address (1949): President Harry S. Truman claims that the United States has to extend foreign aid to “underdeveloped the United States has to extend foreign aid to “underdeveloped areas” of the world for humanitarian reasons and to prevent areas” of the world for humanitarian reasons and to prevent communism from expanding. The U.S. is assumed to be a communism from expanding. The U.S. is assumed to be a “developed area.”“developed area.”

UN Stockholm Declaration UN Stockholm Declaration (1972), Principle 13: “In order to achieve (1972), Principle 13: “In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the environment, States should adopt an integrated and coordinated environment, States should adopt an integrated and coordinated approach to their development planning so as to ensure that approach to their development planning so as to ensure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve development is compatible with the need to protect and improve environment for the benefit of their population.”environment for the benefit of their population.”

World Conservation StrategyWorld Conservation Strategy (1980), International Union for the (1980), International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources: The term Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources: The term ‘sustainable development” first appears and is presented as the ‘sustainable development” first appears and is presented as the central goal of the strategy. central goal of the strategy.

Sustainable Development:Sustainable Development:Some More OverviewSome More Overview

Our Common FutureOur Common Future (1987), World Commission and Environment (1987), World Commission and Environment and Development (WCED) provides the most-often cited definition and Development (WCED) provides the most-often cited definition of sustainable development: of sustainable development:

““The ability of humanity to ensure that it meets the needs of the present The ability of humanity to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”own needs.”

The Rio Declaration (1992):The Rio Declaration (1992):

http://www.unep.org/Documents.multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=78&Artihttp://www.unep.org/Documents.multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=78&ArticleID=1163cleID=1163

There are many definitions of sustainable development today.There are many definitions of sustainable development today.

Precursors to Sustainable Development:Precursors to Sustainable Development:Environmentalism into the 1970sEnvironmentalism into the 1970s

Limits to GrowthLimits to Growth (1972) by the Club of Rome articulates an influential anti- (1972) by the Club of Rome articulates an influential anti-(economic) growth position.(economic) growth position.

Much skepticism about the modernist model of progress.Much skepticism about the modernist model of progress.

Stress on impending ecological/environmental catastrophe/crisis, including Stress on impending ecological/environmental catastrophe/crisis, including pessimism from Paul Ehrlich.pessimism from Paul Ehrlich.

Northern mainstream environmentalists set out to “save the world.” Northern mainstream environmentalists set out to “save the world.”

Rise of Southern grassroots environmentalism; some examples include Rise of Southern grassroots environmentalism; some examples include India’s Chipko Movement (1973) and Kenya’s Green Belt Movement (1977).India’s Chipko Movement (1973) and Kenya’s Green Belt Movement (1977).

Corporate and business backlash.Corporate and business backlash.

Popularization of Sustainable Development: Popularization of Sustainable Development: late 1970s to early 1990s Environmentalismlate 1970s to early 1990s Environmentalism

Managerial environmental ethics: zone the planet for Managerial environmental ethics: zone the planet for conservation.conservation.

Corporate activism: the greening of business.Corporate activism: the greening of business.

Green consumerism: consumption will save the Earth.Green consumerism: consumption will save the Earth.

Much environmentalism becomes married to Much environmentalism becomes married to technological progress: win-win outcomes.technological progress: win-win outcomes.

Much focus on intergenerational equity.Much focus on intergenerational equity.

Sustainable Development (SD) in the 1990sSustainable Development (SD) in the 1990s

United Nations Environmentalism:United Nations Environmentalism:1. Rio Declaration.1. Rio Declaration.2. Agenda 21: The real non-implemented work of the Rio Earth Summit.2. Agenda 21: The real non-implemented work of the Rio Earth Summit.3. Actual financial development assistance between nation-states declines.3. Actual financial development assistance between nation-states declines.

Rise of the global marketplace and free trade: business approaches to SD.Rise of the global marketplace and free trade: business approaches to SD.

SD becomes technological proliferation:SD becomes technological proliferation:1. Belief that technology is neutral and will expand wealth and productivity.1. Belief that technology is neutral and will expand wealth and productivity.2. Belief that nature needs human technology to sustain itself and us.2. Belief that nature needs human technology to sustain itself and us.

SD discourse is dominated by Northern talk about eco-efficiency:SD discourse is dominated by Northern talk about eco-efficiency:1. If we become more efficient, we don’t have to reduce consumption.1. If we become more efficient, we don’t have to reduce consumption.2. More efficient consumption becomes the solution.2. More efficient consumption becomes the solution.

Northern and Southern development and ecological agendas continue to Northern and Southern development and ecological agendas continue to compete.compete.

Refresher: Two Kinds of SustainabilityRefresher: Two Kinds of Sustainability

Substitutability: Are natural resources—from the Substitutability: Are natural resources—from the more-than-human world—interchangeable with more-than-human world—interchangeable with human-produced goods and monetary assets? human-produced goods and monetary assets?

Weak Sustainability: Yes! All we need to sustain Weak Sustainability: Yes! All we need to sustain are non-declining stocks of utility for people.are non-declining stocks of utility for people.

Strong Sustainability: No! We need to sustain (at Strong Sustainability: No! We need to sustain (at least some of) the more-than-human world. least some of) the more-than-human world.

Holland: Values of SustainabilityHolland: Values of Sustainability

1. Human well-being:1. Human well-being:a. Sustainable development discourse is typically couched ina. Sustainable development discourse is typically couched in

anthropocentric terms.anthropocentric terms.b. But human well-being might require strong sustainability.b. But human well-being might require strong sustainability.

2. Justice:2. Justice:a. Intragenerational justice does not guarantee a. Intragenerational justice does not guarantee intergenerational justice.intergenerational justice.b. Sustaining non-declining stocks of utility for people might beb. Sustaining non-declining stocks of utility for people might be compatible with enormous per capita inequalities. compatible with enormous per capita inequalities.

3. Nonhuman nature itself (intrinsic value):3. Nonhuman nature itself (intrinsic value):a. It’s not clear if sustainability supplants or matches up well witha. It’s not clear if sustainability supplants or matches up well with nature protection.nature protection.

Holland’s ConclusionHolland’s Conclusion

The real importance of sustainability may lie in providing a new The real importance of sustainability may lie in providing a new conceptual context within which issues of growth and environment conceptual context within which issues of growth and environment can be debated, and in provoking us to reassess our notions of can be debated, and in provoking us to reassess our notions of quality of life and environment. It answers also to a need, visceral quality of life and environment. It answers also to a need, visceral as well as pragmatic, to do something in the face of loss. But as a as well as pragmatic, to do something in the face of loss. But as a guiding principle, it must be judged ultimately unsatisfying. It seems guiding principle, it must be judged ultimately unsatisfying. It seems too closely locked in to conceptions of the world—a storehouse that too closely locked in to conceptions of the world—a storehouse that must be filled, a machine that must be maintained—that are must be filled, a machine that must be maintained—that are themselves no longer sustainable. In the wake of Darwin, the world themselves no longer sustainable. In the wake of Darwin, the world looks much more like an open-ended historical process ill-suited for looks much more like an open-ended historical process ill-suited for filling or maintaining. Our more modest task is how not to blight the filling or maintaining. Our more modest task is how not to blight the interlocking futures of the human and the natural community that we interlocking futures of the human and the natural community that we have the power profoundly to affect but lack the capacity and the have the power profoundly to affect but lack the capacity and the wisdom to manage. wisdom to manage.

(“Sustainability,” page 400)(“Sustainability,” page 400)