01 Foundations of Sustainability Free Online FlashCards

What does sustainability mean?

Sustainability is the capacity of people and natural systems to endure and flourish over time.

What is sustainable development?

It meets present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own, while improving well-being and maintaining environmental and social conditions.

What are the three dimensions of sustainable development?

Environmental, social, and economic.

What does the environmental dimension of sustainability protect?

Protect ecosystems, biodiversity, climate stability, and natural resources.

What does the social dimension of sustainability support?

Health, education, human rights, inclusion, and fair opportunities.

What is the aim of the economic dimension of sustainability?

Livelihoods and prosperity over the long term.

What does the integration principle require?

Consider social, economic, and environmental effects together; improving one dimension while seriously harming another may not be sustainable.

What does equity in sustainability require?

Meet essential needs now, protect future generations’ options, and consider how benefits and burdens are shared among people today.

What does the precautionary principle advise?

A credible threat of serious or irreversible environmental harm can justify cost-effective preventive action even without complete scientific certainty.

What does the polluter-pays principle mean?

Those responsible for pollution should bear its costs rather than shifting them entirely to the public.

What was a major outcome of the 1972 Stockholm Conference?

The 1972 conference elevated environmental issues in international policy and led to the creation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

What did the 1992 Rio Earth Summit advance?

The 1992 summit adopted the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 and advanced international agreements on climate change and biological diversity.