1 Foundations of Sustainability

Sustainability is the practice of meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. It encompasses three critical dimensions: environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Each of these dimensions is interconnected, forming the basis for what is often called the “triple bottom line” of sustainability.

• Environmental Sustainability focuses on preserving natural resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity to maintain ecological balance.
• Social Sustainability ensures that human rights, health, and social equity are maintained, creating communities that are resilient, inclusive, and supportive.
• Economic Sustainability is concerned with creating systems of production and consumption that are efficient, equitable, and capable of supporting long-term prosperity.

As we embark on this course, you will see that sustainability is not just an isolated concern of the environment, but a comprehensive way of thinking about our global systems and how they interact with one another.

Historical Context of Sustainability

The concept of sustainability is not new, but its prominence in global discourse has evolved over the past few decades. The 1987 Brundtland Report from the United Nations first brought sustainability into the mainstream, defining it as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations.

Later, in 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 global goals to be achieved by 2030, focusing on challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and peace. These goals emphasize the interconnected nature of sustainability, recognizing that action in one area (e.g., economic growth) must consider the consequences on the environment and society.

Why Systems Thinking in Sustainability?

Sustainability issues are deeply complex, involving multiple interrelated components—economic systems, ecosystems, and social systems—all influencing one another. To effectively address sustainability challenges, it’s essential to adopt a systems thinking approach.

• Systems thinking is a way of understanding the world by recognizing how different parts of a system—whether natural or human-made—interact and influence one another. It helps us move beyond simple cause-and-effect thinking and appreciate the dynamic relationships between various elements.

Donella Meadows, a key figure in systems thinking, emphasizes that systems are composed of elements, interconnections, and purposes. For example, a city is a system with various elements like infrastructure, people, and industries, all interacting with one another and serving the overall purpose of providing a place for humans to live and thrive. Systems thinking allows us to see the broader picture, identify leverage points, and implement changes that create sustainable outcomes.

By applying systems thinking, we can analyze how decisions made in one area affect others, whether within an organization, community, or global ecosystem.

Local and Global Sustainability Challenges

Sustainability challenges exist at every scale, from local to global. Consider climate change: rising global temperatures are driven by the release of greenhouse gases, which are, in turn, caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. This leads to changes in weather patterns, more extreme weather events, and impacts on food security, water availability, and human health. However, the effects of climate change are not distributed evenly. Vulnerable communities often experience the harshest impacts, making sustainability a social justice issue as well as an environmental one.

On a more local level, you might see sustainability issues in your own community. Perhaps your city is grappling with traffic congestion, waste management, or water shortages. These are all local manifestations of larger systems that require solutions incorporating environmental, social, and economic considerations.

In this course, we will explore these challenges using systems thinking to understand how they are connected and how sustainable solutions can be developed.