Week 1 - Welcome to Sustainable Futures Flashcards
What challenges are involved with implementing policy processes?
Geographic, cultural, economic and environmental constraints
Why do we need to think critically on sustainable solutions that academic, NGO or policy-making individuals offer?
Because we need to know who stands to benefit, who might be harmed, might groups be disadvantaged in the process?
Name an example of a sustainable solution that was implemented but abandoned in favour of a more efficient alternative?
GMO cotton was pest resistant, but its quality was so much reduced that farmers stopped using it
What is the difference between Millenium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals?
SDG’s apply to all countries whereas MDG’s were about catching up the less and least developed
What are the 5 P’s?
People - Eliminate poverty/hunger
Planet - Protect the environment/tackle climate change
Prosperity - Sustainable economic development
Peace - Peaceful, just and inclusive societies
Partnerships - All countries, all stakeholders, all people
Name an example of how SDG’s relate to each other.
If there was no poverty, there wouldn’t be hunger either
In terms of SDG’s, what is a key UK target by 2030 and why?
To end UK hunger to make the UK more sustainable (reducing carbon emissions, production)
What two broad groups can the implementation of a nation’s policies be divided into?
Policies under direct government control
Policies not under direct government control - require private sector or individual cooperation (pollution control, investments, recycling)
What are the 4 major types of policy instruments at the government’s disposal?
Mandatory (command and control regulations)
Economic (flexible)
Voluntary (Individual, organisational or national)
Education (Provision of information/encouragement)
Emission limits, banned substances and safety requirements are examples of which policy instrument?
Mandatory (command and control regulations)
Attaching a financial cost or benefit to an action, congestion charges, subsidies for renewables and tax breaks for locations are examples of which policy instrument?
Economic (flexible)
Industrywide agreements are an example of which policy instrument?
Voluntary (Individual, organisational or national)
Promoting recycling is an example of which policy instrument?
Education (Provision of information/encouragement)
How do governments enforce policy compliance?
Regulatory bodies (environment agency)
Possibility of prosecution
Punishments that cost more than compliance
Accreditation
What are some challenges to implementing SDG’s?
Implmentation requires cooperation between different organisations, companies and countries
Promoting one SDG may be counterproductive to another
