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"Sustainability
is defined as meeting the
needs of current and future generations through an integration of
environmental protection, social
advancement, and economic prosperity."
WA
Sustainability Strategy
Integration of Economic, Social and Environmental
Spheres of Sustainability
Click on the section of the
model you would like to know more about
Interpretation
The practice of
sustainability requires incorporation and integration of the three spheres of economic,
social and environmental stewardship utilizing mutually reinforcing approaches.
To exemplify the interactive nature of this concept, overlapping areas have been
given specific process identities such as: Socio-Economic, Socio-Environmental,
and Eco-Efficiency.
To reflect the
importance of the three main target areas planners and project managers
sometimes refer to the triple bottom line. However, this does not adequately
describe the synergistic, strategic, systems approach to the incorporation of
these elements into cohesive, workable enterprises.
In the diagram above,
it's only when the three primary spheres come together incorporating a range of
processes that an intervention can truly reflect sustainability as the
term is widely used today.
Economic
Growth
While
some environmentalists have seen economic growth as an
enemy of the environment, the evidence is that lack of
sustainable economic growth, particularly in third world
countries is seriously threatening many of our great
resources such as rain forests and clean waterways.
In
addition, population control is closely tied to economic
growth.
Economic
growth is not only important for the improvement of
quality of life, it is also important in the development
of new ways to better manage our environmental resources.
A
healthy economy, when seen in the context of sustainable
development, can strongly impact positively on the spheres
of social and environmental well-being.
Some
considerations of economic growth include the notion of
growth without increased resource use and growth to narrow
the gap between the rich and poor.
Eco-Efficiency
Eco-efficiency
generally involves the development of cleaner, smarter
work practices and tools.
The World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) describes eco-efficiency as a
management strategy of doing more with less. In practice, eco-efficiency is
achieved through the pursuit of three core objectives:
-
Increasing
product or service value;
-
Optimising
the use of resources; and
-
Reducing
environmental impact.
The
WBCSD has identified seven success factors for
eco-efficiency:
- reduce the
material intensity of goods and services
- reduce the
energy intensity of goods and services
- reduce
toxic dispersion
- enhance
material reyclability
- maximise
sustainable use of renewable resources increasing material durability
- increase
the service intensity of goods and services.
One of the
concepts in this domain is that of polluter pays. That is,
if a product contributes to environmental harm, then the
entire cost of the product, including environmental
restoration is factored in for both producers and
consumer.
Click here
for a comprehensive paper from the UN on Eco-efficiency.
Environmental
Stewardship
We
are dependent on the life-blood of our island planet we
call Earth. It doesn't owe us a living. We owe our living
to it...
Webster’s
Dictionary defines a steward as “one who acts as a
supervisor or administrator, as of finances and property,
for another or others.” As such, we are all
environmental stewards.
Environmental
stewardship acknowledges that humans have an impact on the
environment and that we therefore need to take responsible
and thoughtful care to manage this impact such that it has
a net beneficial effect.
Socio-Environmental
Socio-environmental
factors refers to the interrelationship between our
social/psychological/spiritual sense of being and the
environment in which we live. For example, our sense
of place, how we identify (or are disconnected) from our
local community, including its natural and cultural
heritage is an example of this.
Another
is our relationship to the natural fauna and flora. Some
have viewed the Australian bush as a harsh and unfriendly
environment which should be destroyed and replaced with
domesticated scenes from other countries. This tends to
not only be harmful to the environment, but also alienates
us from the very land on which we live.
One
of the aims of those administrating Kings Park is to
reunite Western Australians and others to the beauty,
complexity and wonder of our natural heritage. In doing
so, its hoped we will be more likely to live in harmony
with our natural surroundings, plant native vegetation in
our gardens, and be more attracted to developments which
incorporate natural, Australian bushland settings.
Social
Progress
One
of the great threats to both the development of our social
well-being as well as our environment is the threat of war
and in particular, weapons of mass destruction.
Social
progress aims to reduce this threat by;
"promoting
higher standards of living, full employment and
conditions of economic and social progress and
development,
reaffirming faith in human rights and fundamental
freedoms and in the principles of peace, of the dignity
and worth of the human person, and of social justice
proclaimed"
United Nations Declaration on Social Progress and
Development, 1969.
Click
here
to read this declaration in full.
Within
Organisations such as the Water Corporation, social
progress includes issues such as the social well-being of
its employees, its customers and others affected by the
use, distribution and management of Western Australia's
water resources. For example, through careful consultation
and imaginative planning, there may be opportunities to
improve the social well-being of Aboriginal people in the
Kimberly region, through the use of water resources in at
region.
Socio-Economic
Economic
health and social well-being are obviously interrelated.
The term 'lower (or higher) socio-economic neighbourhood
relates not only to per capita income, but also to a range
of social issues directly related to income.
Interventions
which aim to simultaneously incorporate and develop
economic and social aspects are more humane and often make
good business sense. Happy people are productive people.
Socio-economics
also applies to the health and welfare industry in regard
to structures which allow the social welfare system to
maintain economic viability and sustainability.
Click
here
for the UN Economics and Social Development web.
Sustainability
"Sustainability
is defined as meeting the needs of current and future
generations through an integration
of environmental
protection, social advancement, and economic
prosperity."
WA
Sustainability Strategy
Click
here
for more on the definition of sustainability.
Integration
model as pictured in the WA
Sustainability Strategy
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