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A Question of Ethics
Michael Donnelly (Realeyes Sustainability)
Patricia Mackey (Sustainable NI)
Why sustainability matters
“To enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs & to enjoy a better quality of life…
…without compromising the quality of life of future generations”
What is Sustainable Development?
Securing the Future, UK's Sustainable Development Strategy,HM Government 2005
Why sustainability matters: living within environmental limits
Population increase from 6 to 9 bn
Consumption per head increases 4 - 6x
Clean air & water, Stable climate
Viable forests & fisheries, Biodiversity
Source: The Natural Step
An alternative view of development
3. ENVIRONMENT
2. SOCIETY
1. ECONOMY
Where we are now….
Aim = Growth
3. ECONOMY
2. SOCIETY
1. ENVIRONMENT
Where we need to be
Aim = Quality of Life for All
Five principles of sustainable development
Living within environmental limits:
• Respect limits of environment, resources & biodiversity • Ensure natural resources to support life remain unimpaired
Ensuring a strong, healthy & just society:
• Meeting diverse needs of all• Promote personal wellbeing, social cohesion & inclusion• Create equal opportunity
Achieving a sustainable economy:
• Strength, stability, prosperity & equal opportunity• Polluter Pays• Efficient resource use
Promoting good governance:
• Participative governance across society• Engage people’s creativity, energy & diversity
Using sound science responsibly:
• Policies developed & implemented according to sound science• Precautionary Principle• Public attitudes & values reflected
Source: Securing the Future, UK's Sustainable Development Strategy, HM Government 2005
Beyond the environment: the triple bottom line
CLIMATE
BIODIVERSITY
& RESOURCES
WASTEWATER
SHORTAGES
POLLUTION
Living within environmental
limits:Ensure natural
resources to support life remain unimpairedEMPLOYMENT
LABOUR
RIGHTS
HEALTH
Ensuring a strong, healthy & just society:Meet diverse needs of all; promote wellbeing, inclusion & equal opportunity
GROWTH &
REGENERATION
Achieving a sustainable economy:Strong, stable, efficient & fair
Global Challenges
Climate Change: Why it’s happening
• Without heat trapping “Greenhouse gases” Earth would be 25C cooler
• Human activity is increasing levels of greenhouse gases in atmosphere• CO2 has increased from 280 to 380 ppm
• Rising between 2 and 3 ppm/year
• Main source is fossil fuel combustion for energy and transport
• Average surface warming of 1 to 6C expected
What’s at stake: projected global risks
Monbiot: 90% cut by 2030
Tyndall: 90% cut by 2050
UK Gov: 60% cut by 2050
1oC• Rice yields fall 15%• Increasing extreme weather events • Indian Ocean coral dies• 400m extra in water stress• 5m extra in hunger • 18% species loss• Greenland icecap melts
2oC• 97% coral reefs bleach• Arctic summer sea ice melts• 2.3-3bn water shortage • 200m more at risk from malaria • Ecosystem collapse >2oC
• Major city flood risk• >50% species loss• “Runaway” climate change - Forest die-back - Permafrost melt - Carbon release from soils• Human cost?
We already have the solutions
Passive Design
Renewables
Public Transport
EnergyEfficiency
Emissions Trading
Pollution: damaging health and the environment
• “UK air pollution more dangerous than Chernobyll”• 24,000 premature deaths per year (Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution)
• Over 100,000 man-made chemicals exist• Only 3,500 have been adequately tested for health and
environmental impacts• Over 300 man-made chemicals can be found in the
average European’s blood• With globalisation, Europe is exporting its pollution
overseasUpstream prevention is
cheaper than downstream clean up
Waste: our throwaway economy
10,000 kgraw
materialsManufacture
1000 kgfinished product
6 months100 kg
long-termdurables
EXTRACT CONVERT USE DISCARD
10 x10 x
Consumption should not be an end in itself: need to rethink value and efficiency
Global Inequality
Poverty: an ever widening gap
20% of world survives on less than $2 per day
UK average high street coffee price
$2
Biodiversity: the sixth extinction
• Up to 50% of species could be wiped out by climate change
• Widespread decline in wildlife populations• Habitat destruction and loss of wilderness• Over-harvesting of timber, fisheries• Falling fertility from pollution• Invasion of alien species
The goal: One planet living
• Ecological footprint = equivalent area of land required to meet an individual’s needs• Food, fibre, waste, energy, space• Measured in “Global hectares per
capita” (gha)
“Equal sustainable share” =
“Global average footprint” =
“UK average” =
1.8 gha
5.6 gha
2.2 gha
Group Exercise
Coffee Cup Exercise• Work as groups
• First map out the lifecycle of a cup of coffee:• From raw materials to disposal!
• Identify impacts• Social, environmental and economic
• How can this be improved?
30mins