Environment Management

Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development
Have

to choose between environment and development. Industrial development and decent standard of living at the cost of environment and depletion of natural resources. Both industrialized countries and underdeveloped or developing countries damage, deplete and pollute the environment.
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Sustainable Development
Basic

question is what is the pattern of growth and development we must follow? Individuals, corporations and nations can synchronize their economic activities with the environment to ensure that future generations will enjoy the same natural amenities as our own generation.

Sustainable Development
Natural

amenities include clean air and water abundant forests, fertile soil and all the glories of nature. What kind of model of development and business model we should follow without ignoring the principles of sustainability? Both consumption and life style of people have relevance to environmental problems.
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Sustainable Development
Therefore

living habits and attitudinal and ethical questions have entered into environmental management area. Need changes at the local, regional, national and at global levels together with economic and social transformation.

Definition
Rate

of consumption or use of natural resources should approximate the rate at which these resources can be substituted or replaced. Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Definition
Nation

or society is able to satisfy its requirements social,economic and others without compromising the interest of future generations. SD means concerns for protecting environment and avoiding depletion of nonrenewable resources.

Definition
Requires

another. Also refers to equity. Equal access to resources. It is futile to talk about environmental problems and SD if the problems of inequality, poverty and the principle of intergenerational distribution of resources are ignored.
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shifting of reliance on one source to

Definition
At

a minimum SD must not endanger the

natural systems that support life on earth: the atmosphere, the water, the soils and the living beings.

Sustainable Development
Business

overtime. CSR,EQ,TQM and now it is SD. Business as usual Business as unusual. Growing number of international companies acknowledge the need to address the triple bottom line of SD. They are Dupont,Ford, Novartis, Shell, Unilever etc.
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jargon gardens have been working

Sustainable Development
Financial

markets are also waking up. They are increasingly interested not only in eco-efficiency, but in business ethics, CSR and human rights all potentially part of SD agenda. SD performances are included in the portfolio screening for major socially responsible investment(SRI) funds.
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Sustainable Development
Developed

countries use too many of natural resources and it cannot continue for long. Nature has been offering its resources and services and also serving as a receptacle for absorbing waste for long. Nature is fragile and finite. There are evidence to prove that we have reached a critical limit beyond which ecological decline would lead to disaster.
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Sustainable Development
How

economic,social and environmental systems interact at various scales of operation in a way that would lead to sustainable development. Also SD must lead to reducing poverty of people in developing countries by means that minimize resource depletion,environmental damage and social instability.
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Sustainability Agenda
PR people Make the first contacts. Some understand, others do not. See better communication as the way forward.

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Sustainability Agenda
Environmental People Think in terms of inputs, outputs and impacts. 95% solution if we clean up emissions and cut back toxic waste

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Sustainability Agenda
Engineers Comfortable when they hear that the challenge can be reduced. Search is on for more eco-efficient process and products.

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Sustainability Agenda
Legal people Trained to ensure that organisations comply with relevant laws. Finds agenda of sustainability unnerving. Complexity of regulatory environment is also growing.

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Sustainability Agenda
Accountants Risk of their market value collapsing. Discovery of unsuspected environmental and other liabilities. Investor relations people agree.

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Environmental Realities
The

promise of SD that we can exploit the environment without causing lasting damage is irresistible. But the reality is some hard truths. In much of the world the environment is already in a bad condition. The condition of environment is getting worse, not better.
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Key Environmental Problems

Loss of agricultural lands. Loss of biodiversity. Pollution of the global atmosphere.

1. 2. 3.

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1. Loss of agricultural lands

Single

most dangerous problem and the one with least attention from leaders. Due to over cultivation,soil erosion,salinization of irrigated lands and desertification,degradation and outright loss of agricultural land combined with growing population. Difficult to meet food supply needs even 20 years from now with tech. breakthroughs.
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2. Loss of Biodiversity
So

far identified 1.7 million species out of 14 million that was. Between 1 to 11 percent being lost in 10 years. Causes: deforestation,expansion of cities,water pollution and overexploitation.

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3. Pollution of global atmosphere

Air

pollution is the gravest we face. Ozone layer thinning Montreal protocol(1987). Countries agreed to reduce and eliminate production of ozone depleting gases. Developing countries 10 year grace period. Developed countries stopped. Ozone layer started regeneratingfull by 2100.
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The Underlying Cause of Destruction

1. 2.

Population growth. Economic growth.

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Population growth
Some

Asian countries have lowered population growth. While it is true that time it takes for the population to double has been extended from 15 or 20 years to 50 years. But this is no long term solution. Population will increase by more than 40% by 2025.
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Economic growth
Population

growth may account for as much as 50% of environmental degradation. As people become wealthier diets shift from vegetable to animal products. Renewable sources of energy(wood) are replaced by fossil fuels(gas). Newly affluent farmers build large houses consuming wood and scarce land resources.
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Important Fundamentals of environment and Sustainable development

Population. Limits to growth. Economy. Poverty. Human settlement issues. Land Resources. Forests.

Mountains. Agriculture. Bio diversity. Protection of oceans. Business and industry. Ecological deficit. Village community & involvement.
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