GRABSUM School Inc.
Candelaria,Quezon 4323 Tel. No. 042 585-8723 / Fax. No. 042 585-9969
TERTIARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Models of Sustainable Development
3-overlapping-circles modelThe overlapping-circles model of
sustainability acknowledges the intersection of economic,
environmental, and social factors. Depending on our mindset,
we re-size the circles to show that one factor is more dominant
than the other two. For example, some business leaders prefer
to show the economy as the largest circle because it is the most
important to their success and it makes their world go round.
They draw society as the second largest circle because that is
where their customers and other important stakeholders live.
The environment would then be the smallest because it is the
most external to standard business metrics. Unfortunately, this
model implies that the economy can exist independently of
society and the environment—that the part of the red circle that does not overlap with the blue and green circles
has an existence of its own. This large incongruity leads us to the next, more accurate model.
3-nested-dependencies modelIf you were to ask a maritime
fisherman whether the devastating collapse of the cod fishery
off the east coast of Newfoundland was an environmental
disaster, a social disaster, or an economic disaster, he would
say, “Yes.” The 3-nested-dependencies model reflects this co-
dependent reality. It shows that human society is a wholly-
owned subsidiary of the environment—that without food, clean
water, fresh air, fertile soil, and other natural resources, we’re
cooked.
It’s the people in societies who decide how they will exchange goods and
services. That is, they decide what economic model they will use. Because they
create their economies, they can change them if they find their current
economic models are not working to improve their quality of life. To add another
metaphor: the economy is the tail and society is the dog—not vice versa.
To be fair, the society-economy relationship is symbiotic. During the recent
recession, the economic downturn had a significant impact on people’s quality of life. Good jobs are so important
to a vibrant modern-day society that sustainability champions who portray the economy as subservient to society
are sometimes accused of being naïve about how the “real world” works.
It might be useful to use the picture of Earth in the adjacent slide to remind some critics about the real “real
world.” This defining photo shows water, atmospheric clouds, and land—the environment. The photo also
reminds us of a stark reality—there is no umbilical cord going somewhere else; we must live within the carrying
capacity of the planet. We can’t see them in the photograph, but clusters of people on land form societies within
that larger environment. And, it’s those societies which decide how they will exchange goods and services within
and between themselves—their invisible economies. The 3-nested-dependencies model reflects this reality.
GRABSUM School Inc.
Candelaria,Quezon 4323 Tel. No. 042 585-8723 / Fax. No. 042 585-9969
TERTIARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
What is sustainable development?
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its core is an
approach to development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs against an
awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as a society.
All too often, development is driven by one particular need, without fully considering the wider or
future impacts. We are already seeing the damage this kind of approach can cause, from large-scale
financial crises caused by irresponsible banking, to changes in global climate resulting from our
dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources. The longer we pursue unsustainable development, the
more frequent and severe its consequences are likely to become, which is why we need to take action
now.
Living within our environmental limits is one of the central principles of sustainable development. One
implication of not doing so is climate change.
But the focus of sustainable development is far broader than just the environment. It's also about
ensuring a strong, healthy and just society. This means meeting the diverse needs of all people in existing
and future communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and inclusion, and creating
equal opportunity.
Sustainable development is about finding better ways of doing things, both for the future and the
present. We might need to change the way we work and live now, but this doesn't mean our quality of
life will be reduced.
A sustainable development approach can bring many benefits in the short to medium term, for example:
Savings - As a result of SDC scrutiny, government has saved over £60m by improving efficiency
across its estate.
Health & Transport - Instead of driving, switching to walking or cycling for short journeys will
save you money, improve your health and is often just as quick and convenient.
Sustainable development provides an approach to making better decisions on the issues that affect all
of our lives. By incorporating health plans into the planning of new communities, for instance, we can
ensure that residents have easy access to healthcare and leisure facilities.
Stability vs Sustainability - What's the difference?
As nouns the difference between stability and sustainability is that stability is the condition of
being stable or in equilibrium, and thus resistant to change while sustainability is the ability to
sustain something.
