Lecture on Essentials of Sustainability

Introduction

• Presenter: Dr. Sattin Naran
  • Associate Professor, School of Sustainability, IIT Madras
  • Head of the Energy Consortium
• Course: Certificate Program on Sustainability for Indian Businesses from the Center for Continuing Education, IIT Madras
• Focus: Historical roots and modern-day implications of sustainability

Historical Context

• 1960s-70s: Realization of the impact of industrial development
• Early discourses often focused on resource depletion (e.g., fish, wood, farmlands)
• Sustainable Development: Beyond cause-effect, focusing on systemic view

Concept of Sustainability

• Common Terms
  • Circularity: Often confused with sustainability
  • Natural Capital: Resources Earth provides (e.g., Earth Overshoot Day)
  • Climate Neutrality & Net Zero: Debates around if these constitute sustainability
  • Cradle to Cradle: Returning materials to their original state
  • Societal Resilience: Adaptation to potential future challenges
• Definition Challenges: Multiple interpretations based on context
• Current Common Definition: From Brundtland Commission: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.”

Key Discourses and Theories

• Population and Resources: Early discussions on stabilizing population with resources
  • Productive jobs, access to land, credit, training
• Agriculture: Needs to balance productivity and ecosystem maintenance
• Energy Use:
  • Amry Lovins: Low energy input for economic growth; need for efficient policies
  • KPIs/Indicators: Human Development Index, Gross National Happiness, Environmental Performance Index
• UN Sustainable Development Goals: 17 goals for inclusive, measurable sustainability

Six Strains of Sustainability Thought

1. Population Growth & Resources: Pressure on the environment
2. Ecological Carrying Capacity: Earth’s limit to sustain life
3. Resource Use & Environmental Linkages: Impact of development
4. Biosphere Perspective: Earth as a closed ecosystem
5. Technology Burden: Impact of technology on sustainability (e.g., plastic uses)
6. Ecodevelopment: Development harmonizing ecological, social, and economic goals

Sustainability Constructs

• Ecological Carrying Capacity: Limited resources supporting population
• Resource Efficiency: Reducing exploitation and environmental degradation
• Biosphere Approach: Earth as a closed system with limited resources
• Technology Impact: Risks and benefits of technological advancements
• Growth vs No-Growth Debate: Unrestricted growth vs sustainable development
• Integrative Design: Combining efficiency and renewable energy

Sustainability Measurement and Reporting

• Indicators and Metrics
  • UN SDGs
  • Environmental Performance Index (EPI)
  • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
  • Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
  • Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)
  • Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) in India
• Common Challenges
  • Accurate data measurement
  • Comprehensive reporting for companies

Final Considerations

• Key Points
  • Short-term profit maximization not sustainable
  • Single-issue solutions inadequate
  • Avoiding greenwashing
  • Including social impacts
  • Long-term consequences
  • Sustainability makes business sense
• Future Work
  • Case studies and practical applications are necessary

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Conclusion

• The lecture provided a comprehensive overview of sustainability, tracing its historical roots and evolving theories, and the need for systemic, inclusive approaches to sustainable development.