Lecture 4

Question 1

Name and define the three pillars of sustainability

Answer 1

• Social Pillar

- Basic material needs i.e. Clean air and water, food, housing, medical care - Equity  - Freedom from violence 

• Economic pillar

• Wealth creation
• Employment
• Increasing standard of living

· Environmental pillar

- Conservation of natural resources 
- Reductions in energy and water use. 
- Minimizing pollution i.e. less waste from industry, households & more recycling 
- Maintenance of biodiversity  - Improved air and river water quality

Question 2

Define social pillar

Answer 2

• Measurements of social development - HDI index, GNI index

• HDI Index
- Summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development
- geometric mean of:
 => long healthy life - based on life expectancy (min 20yr,max 85 yr)
 => being knowledgeable - based on mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling (2nd capped at 18yrs)
 => decent living standard - based on gross national income per capita (min $100, max $75000)

• GNI Index (world bank estimate)

- Measures extent of income distribution or consumption expenditure among individuals/households within economy deviation from perfect equal distribution - Lorenz curve used => Gini index 0 - perfect equality, 100 - perfect inequality

Question 3

Define economic pillar

Answer 3

Measurements
· Gross domestic product (GDP) - value of goods and services produced in an economy (most commonly used by countries as goal)
- Economic growth target = GDP grows couple of percent each year (greater than 2%)
- stagnation = Flat GDP
- Recession = GDP falls for 2 quarters in a row

· Gross National Product (GNP) - GDP +  imported value of goods and services into economy - value exported
· Purchasing power parity (PPP) - exchange rate of two currencies determined by purchasing fixed basket of goods
· GDP/GNP per capita 

Linear vs Circular Economy 
	· Guiding principles behind circular economy 
	- Waste is food
	- Diversity is strength
	- Energy from renewable sources
Systems thinking

Question 4

Define environmental pillar

Answer 4

· UK regulations
- SEPA, Environment Agency (England + Wales), local authority

	· SEPA regulations
	- Air  i.e. dust smoke noise 
	- Hazardous substances i.e. storage,handling
	- Land i.e. contaminated land
	- Waste and recycling i.e. disposal
Water i.e. pollution, effluent