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Many universities across the world offer degree programs in sustainability studies, which aim to equip students with the skills to develop solutions to environmental problems.[4]
History
Towards the end of the 1980s, environmental concerns and ecological sustainability gained increased global attention. In 1987, the Brundtland Report was delivered by the World Commission on Environment and Development.[5] The commission, chaired by Norway’s Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland,[6] was appointed to study the consequences of global environmental change.[7] The report introduced the concept of sustainable development, defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.[8] While numerous definitions have been proposed since then (see, for example, Pezzoli, 1997), researchers have asserted that sustainability assessments should: integrate economic, environmental, social and institutional issues, and consider their interdependencies; consider the long-term consequences of present actions; acknowledge the uncertainties concerning the result of present actions and act with a precautionary bias; engage the public; and include equity considerations (intragenerational and intergenerational).[9]
Five years after the report was launched, the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.[6] Five years later, in 1997, this framework contributed to the creation of the Kyoto Protocol, a plan in which wealthy nations pledged to reduce their carbon emissions emissions.[6] All countries that participated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also signed the Kyoto Protocol. However, progress towards sustainability slowed when the United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and other nations consequently did not meet their pledges in the agreement.[6]
Recently, the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report stating that “urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to reach the target” of maintaining global temperature at moderate levels.[10] The report stated that countries must adhere to the Paris Agreement pledge to keep temperatures between 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius, to avoid global challenges resulting from climate change, including the eradication of corals and the accelerated melting of Arctic ice caps. [10] The IPCC also explained that a rise in temperatures could trigger catastrophic results in the form of intense natural disasters, unpredictable weather, and food shortages. To prevent this outcome, governments would need to require a "supercharged roll-back of emissions courses that have built up over the past 250 years.”[10] New developments in technology and land use are necessary to achieve this. According to the IPCC, carbon dioxide emissions have to be cut by 45% by 2030 and come down to 0 by 2050.[10] Though this would dramatically increase carbon prices, scientists warn that the consequences of global warming at the current rate may be far more severe. The world is currently on course to reach 3 degrees Celsius of global warming, and scientists assert that significant changes must be imposed to prevent this from happening.[10] This shift towards environmental protection requires a workforce dedicated to studying sustainable development, hence the growing importance of interdisciplinary studies. Individuals studying sustainable development may focus on mitigating the climate conditions that could lead to catastrophic global warming and understanding how policy decisions link to areas such as urban planning, sociology, economics, and ecology.
Spheres of sustainability
Sustainability comprises three major spheres: the social sphere, the economic sphere, and the environmental sphere. These three spheres can also be referred to as the "triple bottom line" or the three pillars of sustainability.[11] While these spheres are different from one another, they each play a role in maintaining the efficiency of society and the health of the planet. Sustainability is achieved when the three spheres overlap equally.
Social Sphere: The social sphere examines issues that human populations face, and the impacts that certain actions have on society.[12] Examples of social issues include food insecurity, housing instability, poverty, healthcare, and access to education. Equity and equal access to opportunities are at the foundation of this pillar.[13] This sphere involves subject fields such as sociology, psychology, and anthropology. Nonprofit and government organizations are often central to the social sphere. In regard to sustainability, policies should represent all populations and ensure that basic human rights are being met.[13]
Economic Sphere: The economic sphere prioritizes a high-functioning economy and profit-making, and consumerism is central to this sphere. Those who work in business and finance are included in this sphere. In relation to sustainability, global corporations and companies should establish efficient practices for development and growth. [12]
Environmental Sphere: The environmental sphere promotes the health of the physical Earth. This pillar evaluates environmental issues and proposes solutions that could be implemented at any level from local to global. Examples of environmental issues include natural disasters, rising temperatures, pollution, energy resources, and deforestation. Environmental scientists and activists are closely associated with this sphere.[12]
Sustainability is an interdisciplinary subject, and these spheres overlap like a Venn diagram. The social and economic spheres intersect to create the subject of social justice. The economic and environmental spheres give rise to the subject of environmental stewardship. Environmental justice is established where the environmental and social spheres meet.[14]
Social justice seeks to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and make a sufficient living, while keeping the economy operating smoothly.[13] A major concern in many nations is how much funding should be allocated to welfare programs—it is crucial to find a balance between helping citizens while having enough money for the governing body to function. Another common social justice concern surrounds workers' rights. Because workers can be exploited by businesses, policies regarding safe working conditions and fair wages ensure that workers are treated fairly. For example, Fair trade on products verifies that the resources used to produce the item are ethical.
Environmental stewardship involves collaboration between businesses and environment-centered initiatives. These actions, applied properly, can benefit the planet and save money for businesses. Organizations may seek to reduce their waste by switching from plastic to paper packaging or recycling any unused products. Businesses could also look for ways to manage their energy more efficiently, such as using a renewable energy source rather than a nonrenewable and limiting production times.[15]
Environmental justice is the intersection between social and environmental issues, and it involves providing equitable access to environmental protections and funding for all populations.[16]Climate change events like natural disasters, increased temperatures, and unpredictable weather patterns disproportionately impact lower-income and impoverished communities, which often lack the resources to move away from affected neighborhoods. An example of an environmental justice issue in the United States is the lack of properly working septic tanks in Lowndes County, Alabama. In her book Waste: A Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret, Catherine Coleman Flowers explains the environmental issues that this impoverished community faces. In this predominantly African American area, many residents live with raw sewage in their backyards because they cannot afford to buy or install a septic system. Furthermore, these residents can be criminally charged for not having working septic tanks, even though they may not have the means to repair them. Coleman Flowers and other environmental justice advocates have dedicated years to fighting for justice for the residents of Lowndes County.[17]
A crucial concern in environmental justice is the impact that climate change events are having on developing nations. Former Irish President Mary Robinson published "Climate Justice," a book that shares the stories of people in countries around the world who are fighting climate change daily. Robinson tells the story of Constance Okollet, a resident of Uganda, who is facing regular seasons of floods and droughts, making food and clean water difficult to obtain. An activist from Vietnam, Vu Thi Hien, shares the impacts that war and deforestation have had on her country's land and people. The former president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, has considered moving the entire nation off of their island to another because of rising sea levels. Robinson shares these stories to spread awareness of the impacts that climate change is having around the world, especially to smaller, poorer nations. [18]
Careers in sustainability studies
Sustainability studies emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to environmental problems, involving fields such as:
In the United States, professionals in sustainability studies could expect to earn between $75,000 and $93,000 per year in 2017, based on the average salaries of those in engineering and environmental sciences.[20] Chief sustainability executives earn an average of $167,000.[20]
↑ Detail for CIP Code 30.3301, Title: Sustainability Studies.. Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Accessed 10 May 2011
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