Sustainability – What is it? Concept of Sustainability? Importance of Sustainability
Sustainability is something that is being talked about more and more in contemporary society. With the growth of cities and the largest number of people living on planet earth, sustainability is something that cannot be ignored, as our natural resources are already at their limit and something needs to be done to stop the improper and indiscriminate use of our resources.
What is sustainability?
The term sustainable is the same thing as: Sustain; Defend; Favor, Support; Preserve, Care. Sustainability is nothing more than using our resources in a better way, so as not to harm future generations through the lack of a resource, such as water.
the term "Sustainability" it spread quickly, becoming part of the politically correct vocabulary of companies, institutions and people, to the point of becoming unanimous in global society.
When and where did the concept of Sustainability begin?
This concept began to be thought of in 1972 at a United Nations Conference on the human environment, a conference that took place in Sweden in the city of Stockholm, where the foundations of environmental actions at an international level were laid, focusing on the great degradation of the environment. environment that was already happening at the time and the pollution that was already high due to industries.
With the actions created in Stockholm, an action plan was defined with principles of preservation and improvements of the natural environment, focusing on the financial needs of the poorest countries to help them preserve their forests and preventive actions regarding the environment.
What is ECO-92?
ECO-92 is the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, it was a conference held in Brazil in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992, where its participants were all heads of state and aimed to discuss the world's environmental problems.
With all this debate between the heads of state at ECO-92 about the environment, the main document on sustainability was produced, this document is called “Agenda 21”.
What topics are covered at Eco-92?
The topics covered at ECO-92 were:
- Climate Change;
- Air and Water;
- Alternative Transport;
- Ecotourism;
- Waste reduction;
- Reduction of acid rain.
What is Agenda 21?
Agenda 21 is one of the main documents produced at the ECO-92 conference. This agenda is an action program that aims to enable a new pattern of more rational environmental development, reconciling methods such as environmental protection, social justice and economic efficiency, to achieve the desired sustainability and environmental protection.
Sustainability in Brazil
Brazil was also not left out and also created some sustainability programs, such as the “National Electric Energy Conservation Program”, created in 1985 and the “National Program for the Rationalization of the Use of Petroleum and Natural Gas Derivatives” created in 1991.
National Electric Energy Conservation Program – It is a program that aims at the rational use of electrical energy and was established on December 30, 1985 by the Ministries of Mines and Energy and Industry and Commerce of Brazil, through ordinance 1,877 and is managed by an executive secretariat linked to Eletrobras.
National Program for the Rationalization of the Use of Petroleum and Natural Gas Derivatives – It is a Federal Government program, created in 1991, by presidential decree, to promote the development of an anti-waste culture in the use of non-renewable natural resources in Brazil, guaranteeing a better country for future generations. The program is linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, executed with technical and administrative support from Petrobras, and its operations are guided by several Legal Frameworks.
Apart from these two sustainability programs created many years ago by Brazil, nothing else is being done, not even to contain the advance of deforestation in the Amazon.
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a system concept that aims at global development by incorporating aspects of mass consumption within the parameters of environmental preservation. The most used definition for Sustainable Development is:
“Development that seeks to meet the needs of the current generation, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, means enabling people, now and in the future, to reach a satisfactory level of social and economic development and human fulfillment and cultural, while making reasonable use of land resources and preserving species and natural habitats.” “Brundtland Report”
Self Sustainability
Self-Sustainability is a concept in ecology that defines the exploitation of natural resources on a non-predatory basis. This means implementing or rationalizing exploration projects so that:
- Cause minimal impact on the surrounding environment, and on resources that are not directly used by the project
- Give nature time to restore the renewable resources of interest to the project;
- Have sufficient monetary return to support the people involved and their families with dignity (without famine), so that they do not need to overexploit the environment, or resort to predatory practices, to supplement their income.
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture pursues three main objectives: environmental conservation, profitable agricultural units, and the creation of prosperous agricultural communities. These objectives have been defined in accordance with diverse philosophies, practices and policies, from both the farmer and consumer perspectives.
Referring to Sustainable Agriculture as the capacity that a given agricultural unit has to continue producing, in an endless succession, harvesting in a way that does not abuse the ground and not even from the plantation, guaranteeing a good harvest in the following periods.
Importance of Sustainability
Sustainability is extremely important for our present and future society, we have to be aware of everything we do, because choosing more sustainable paths in every way can greatly change the future of our planet, not letting our resources natural resources end, making the lives of our descendants and even our lives in the future more difficult.
