6th week: Challenges to Sustainable Development
Unsustainable Development
Unsustainable development occurs when present progress is at the expense of future generations. For example, environmental degradation through exploitation of resources generates waste and pollution that damages ecosystems. Unsustainability means unfair, unjust, inequity, inequality, etc. Unsustainability occurs in many forms such as socio-economic inequity, cultural inequity, familial inequality and many more.
Challenges to Sustainable Development
The challenges of sustainable development consist of social, economic and environmental challenges. Among the general challenges to sustainable development that globally happen across countries are:
- Inequalities of access to educational resources
- Inequalities of access to health facilities
- Inequalities of access to food
- Inequalities of access to clean water
Other than that, the specific challenges to sustainable development that become barriers to achieve the SDGs are:
- Sustainable transport system
- Sustainable consumption and production patterns
- Global poverty
- Social inclusion, demography and migration issues
- Public health system
- Conservation and management of natural resources / over exploitation of natural resources
- Climate change and clean energy
- Scarcity of resources
In addition, the key challenges to achieving sustainable development are as follows:
- Instability, such as conflict between nations.
- Implementation, such as ensuring programs fit the local context.
- Governance, such as political will to transform development programs into sustainable long-term practices.
Learn more about the 3 key challenges to achieving sustainable development in our world
Key Ideas for Sustainable Development
1) Key ideas for sustainable society
- Focus on three major components of human existence - social equity, economic efficiency, environmental responsibility
- Emphasis on human development
Together towards a sustainable society
2) Key ideas for sustainable economy
- Promotion of efficiency and recycling
- Source materials mainly recycled materials
- Reduce wastes in production, packaging and distribution
- Economy like an ecosystem
- Dematerialization of the economy
Linear economy creates waste
In order to achieve a sustainable economy, we need to shift from a linear economy to a circular economy:
Together towards a sustainable economy
3) Key ideas for sustainable environment
- Grow a greener world by planting more trees
- Carpool and use of public transportation
- Consumption of sustainable goods and services (biodegradable and eco friendly product)
- Choose energy efficient appliances
- Go plastic free
- Sustainable management of natural resources
- The 3R concept (reduce, reuse, recycle)
- Control of human activities (deforestation, industrial waste etc.)
- Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilisers
- Save water and energy
The pictures below show the estimated decomposition rate for the products:
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