The current economic system is based on constant growth, implying that countries must continually progress, companies must increase their profits and people must aspire to higher incomes.
Economic growth is a desirable objective, but it is not sufficient for sustainable development. Development also implies improving people's quality of life, respecting the environment and promoting social equity.
We cannot continue to consume more than we need, nor more than the planet can offer. Growth, production and consumption must be compatible with ecological limits and human rights.
Sustainable world
A sustainable world implies achieving a balance between economic development, environmental care and social welfare. It is a goal that requires the participation of all sectors of society, from governments, businesses and citizens.
Benefits of a sustainable world
- Improve people's quality of life: Reduce poverty, hunger and disease.
- Preserve natural resources and biodiversity: Avoid overexploitation and pollution.
- Foster innovation and competitiveness: Create opportunities for employment and growth.
- Strengthen peace and cooperation: Respect human rights and cultural diversity.
Sustainability and circular economy
Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations, ensuring a balance between economic growth, respect for the environment and social well-being. This concept is based on the Sustainable Development Goals, which is a plan agreed by the United Nations to transform our world and address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate and environmental degradation.
Now, sustainability is based on the concept of circular economy and seeks to minimize the use of natural resources, waste generation and pollution.
In a circular economy, materials and products are designed so that they can be reused, repaired, recycled or composted, preventing them from ending up in landfills or in the environment, in addition to promoting the use of renewable energies and the restoration of ecosystems.
Some actions to support the circular economy
- Reduce the use of plastic materials and other non-biodegradable elements.
- Separate organic and inorganic waste and deposit it in the appropriate containers. If you have space, you can make your own compost with organic waste and use it as fertilizer for your plants in the garden.
- Buy local, organic and fair trade products. Support small producers and companies that respect the environment and human rights. Avoid overconsumption and choose quality over quantity.
- Save energy and water in your home. Turn off lights and electrical appliances when not in use, use LED bulbs, regulate the thermostat temperature, turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or soaping up, install water saving devices in faucets and shower.
- Participate in community clean-up, reforestation or environmental education initiatives. Collaborate with local organizations that work for sustainability and nature conservation, spreading the message among your family, friends and neighbors.
Impact of economic growth on the planet
Humans have modified the planet to such an extent that our very survival is at risk. The problems caused by our way of life are increasingly harmful and difficult to reverse.
In 2009, a group of scientists came together to identify nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system, identifying quantitative margins that determine whether humans can continue to survive. Crossing the boundaries puts humanity at risk, and so far five of nine of them have been crossed.
These processes are known as planetary boundaries and are fundamental to maintaining the Earth's natural balance and resilience. Some of these limits are climate change, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss and chemical pollution. If we do not respect these limits, we risk generating irreversible environmental changes in the entire system and triggering a collapse. It is therefore urgent to take measures to reduce environmental impact and ensure sustainable development that protects the planet and life.
Economic growth is the main objective of many countries, but it comes at a very high environmental and social cost. The natural resources that sustain human life may seem to be infinite, because they have always been there, but they are being depleted and the waste we generate pollutes the planet. We cannot go on living as if we had another world to exploit and discard.
It is necessary to change the paradigm of development based on consumption and accumulation for one that respects ecological limits, transforms our ways of producing and consuming, and promotes equity and solidarity.
Today, we are consuming resources that belong to the future and they are diminishing faster every year. Progress has brought benefits in the quality of life, but it has also altered other aspects that are detrimental to it.
Therefore, the problem is not how many of us there are, but how we live. We need to change the social and economic relationships that have led us to this situation. Changing our way of life does not imply renouncing welfare, development and technology.
Starting to build a sustainable world now
To achieve a sustainable planet, the United Nations proposed to work on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN's plan to achieve a better and fairer future for all. These goals address the main challenges facing humanity, such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, climate change, energy, environment and peace. The SDGs are based on the cooperation and commitment of all countries to achieve the goals set for the year 2030.
However, some economists also put forward other very interesting proposals, such as the donut economy, as an innovative vision that seeks to meet human needs within the limits of the planet.
The donut economy is an economy based on a regenerative, circular and modular design where all impacts are considered, from creation, useful life and even final disposal. This implies reducing overconsumption, promoting the circularity of materials, sharing wealth more equitably, protecting the commons and respecting cultural and ecological diversity. Some cities, such as Amsterdam, Brussels and Copenhagen, have adopted this proposal as a guide to orient their public policies towards a more humane and sustainable development.
Conclusion
A sustainable world is possible if we act responsibly and with commitment to care for the planet and its resources. We can all contribute to this change with our daily actions and by demanding that those who represent us and companies adopt measures that favor renewable energies and the protection of biodiversity.
Sustainability requires profound and structural changes, technological solutions, financial instruments, public policies, management and ecological vision, but above all a change in the thinking and values of each one of us, understanding the problem and acting from our possibilities.
We are facing complicated challenges and they do not compare with what awaits future generations. The problems can only be overcome by people with integrity, knowledge and skills, both manual, intellectual and social.
Now imagine a sustainable planet that is equitable, empathetic, responsible and with a great bond with nature, a sustainable world that can be built with a grain of sand from each one of us, that is the world we want and in which we deserve to live.
