Sustainability Flashcards
When was the UN’s first meeting on environmental issues?
1972
What did the Club of Rome publish & when?
What was the conclusion - what was the impact?
1972 ‘The Limits of Growth’
Limit to economic growth due to resource constraints - did not shape public policy
When was the Brundtland Commission established?
What report did they publish, what was the conclusion?
Established in 1980s
1987 - commission’s final report
Concluded that sustainable development needs to be compatible with economic growth
‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’
When did corporations begin to widely pursue CSR?
1990s
Wen did investors begin pressing companies to become more sustainable? What was this referred to as?
1990s
Referred to as ‘shareholder engagement’
When was ESG coined as a term, by what?
When was this solidified?
ESG coined in 2005 by UN Global Compact
Solidified when embedded into the UN PRI (2006)
What are corporations corporate-level climate goals motivated by?
- bottom up consumer pressure
- government policy
- investor / lender pressure
Is Climate an exclusively ESG issue? Why?
No - impacts all stakeholders, including those who are not currently acting in sustainable ways
When were the UN SDGs launched?
What were they launched as part of?
2015
UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
What was adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit? By whom?
Agenda 21 - plan for a global partnership on sustainable development
178 countries
Who was the Rio Earth Summit started by?
UNFCCC - UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Convention on Biological Diversity
What have the UNFCCC and Convention on Biological Diversity helped to support?
Large role in coordinating communication regarding scientific consensus built by the IPCC with Governments
Why is the UNFCCC important
All major global level climate-policy agreements have happened under aegis of UNFCCC
MDGS : when established, how many, to be achieved by ___?
Established in 2000
X8 goals
To be achieved by 2015
Success of MDGs, why?
Ultimately fell short
Lack of private sector engagement
But helped set a benchmark
Mandate of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Build on the MDGs and complete what they did not achieve
Centred on people, planet, prosperity & peace
Success of SDGs based on?
Broad, all encompassing, detailed goals
169 targets provide specificity and better tracking / focus
Broader set of policies covered - allows wider range of stakeholders to find agreement on some issues
CS: Goal 4 - Quality Education
Free access to primary & secondary
Access to early childhood care
Access to technical, vocational and higher education
Eliminate gender disparities
CS: Goal 7 - Affordable Energy
By 2030…
Universal, reliable, affordable modern energy services
Increase share of renewable energy in global mix
Double global rate of improved energy efficiency
International cooperation on research / tech / investment
Expand infrastructure for supplying modern energy - esp. in developing
Nature based solutions - brief description
Help protect, manage or restore ecosystems whilst addressing societal challenges
WWF definition of nature based solutions
Increased ECOSYSTEM functionality
Be SCIENCE based
Be SYNERGISTIC
Involve STAKEHOLDERS form local / indigenous communities
Be MEASURABLE