A Question of Ethics

Michael Donnelly (Realeyes Sustainability)

Patricia Mackey (Sustainable NI)

Why sustainability matters

“To enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs & to enjoy a better quality of life…

…without compromising the quality of life of future generations”

What is Sustainable Development?

Securing the Future, UK's Sustainable Development Strategy,HM Government 2005

Why sustainability matters: living within environmental limits

Population increase from 6 to 9 bn

Consumption per head increases 4 - 6x

Clean air & water, Stable climate

Viable forests & fisheries, Biodiversity

Source: The Natural Step

An alternative view of development

3. ENVIRONMENT

2. SOCIETY

1. ECONOMY

Where we are now….

Aim = Growth

3. ECONOMY

2. SOCIETY

1. ENVIRONMENT

Where we need to be

Aim = Quality of Life for All

Five principles of sustainable development

Living within environmental limits:

• Respect limits of environment, resources & biodiversity • Ensure natural resources to support life remain unimpaired

Ensuring a strong, healthy & just society:

• Meeting diverse needs of all• Promote personal wellbeing, social cohesion & inclusion• Create equal opportunity

Achieving a sustainable economy:

• Strength, stability, prosperity & equal opportunity• Polluter Pays• Efficient resource use

Promoting good governance:

• Participative governance across society• Engage people’s creativity, energy & diversity

Using sound science responsibly:

• Policies developed & implemented according to sound science• Precautionary Principle• Public attitudes & values reflected

Source: Securing the Future, UK's Sustainable Development Strategy, HM Government 2005

Beyond the environment: the triple bottom line

CLIMATE

BIODIVERSITY

& RESOURCES

WASTEWATER

SHORTAGES

POLLUTION

Living within environmental

limits:Ensure natural

resources to support life remain unimpairedEMPLOYMENT

LABOUR

RIGHTS

HEALTH

Ensuring a strong, healthy & just society:Meet diverse needs of all; promote wellbeing, inclusion & equal opportunity

GROWTH &

REGENERATION

Achieving a sustainable economy:Strong, stable, efficient & fair

Global Challenges

Climate Change: Why it’s happening

• Without heat trapping “Greenhouse gases” Earth would be 25C cooler

• Human activity is increasing levels of greenhouse gases in atmosphere• CO2 has increased from 280 to 380 ppm

• Rising between 2 and 3 ppm/year

• Main source is fossil fuel combustion for energy and transport

• Average surface warming of 1 to 6C expected

What’s at stake: projected global risks

Monbiot: 90% cut by 2030

Tyndall: 90% cut by 2050

UK Gov: 60% cut by 2050

1oC• Rice yields fall 15%• Increasing extreme weather events • Indian Ocean coral dies• 400m extra in water stress• 5m extra in hunger • 18% species loss• Greenland icecap melts

2oC• 97% coral reefs bleach• Arctic summer sea ice melts• 2.3-3bn water shortage • 200m more at risk from malaria • Ecosystem collapse >2oC

• Major city flood risk• >50% species loss• “Runaway” climate change - Forest die-back - Permafrost melt - Carbon release from soils• Human cost?

We already have the solutions

Passive Design

Renewables

Public Transport

EnergyEfficiency

Emissions Trading

Pollution: damaging health and the environment

• “UK air pollution more dangerous than Chernobyll”• 24,000 premature deaths per year (Royal Commission on

Environmental Pollution)

• Over 100,000 man-made chemicals exist• Only 3,500 have been adequately tested for health and

environmental impacts• Over 300 man-made chemicals can be found in the

average European’s blood• With globalisation, Europe is exporting its pollution

overseasUpstream prevention is

cheaper than downstream clean up

Waste: our throwaway economy

10,000 kgraw

materialsManufacture

1000 kgfinished product

6 months100 kg

long-termdurables

EXTRACT CONVERT USE DISCARD

10 x10 x

Consumption should not be an end in itself: need to rethink value and efficiency

Global Inequality

Poverty: an ever widening gap

20% of world survives on less than $2 per day

UK average high street coffee price

$2

Biodiversity: the sixth extinction

• Up to 50% of species could be wiped out by climate change

• Widespread decline in wildlife populations• Habitat destruction and loss of wilderness• Over-harvesting of timber, fisheries• Falling fertility from pollution• Invasion of alien species

The goal: One planet living

• Ecological footprint = equivalent area of land required to meet an individual’s needs• Food, fibre, waste, energy, space• Measured in “Global hectares per

capita” (gha)

“Equal sustainable share” =

“Global average footprint” =

“UK average” =

1.8 gha

5.6 gha

2.2 gha

Group Exercise

Coffee Cup Exercise• Work as groups

• First map out the lifecycle of a cup of coffee:• From raw materials to disposal!

• Identify impacts• Social, environmental and economic

• How can this be improved?

30mins