WHY SUSTAINABILITY?

• The reason this methodology is important is is because any time you do or make something, it has positive/negatives effects on all 3 pillars - whether you want it to or not

  • There are many examples of businesses making decisions that prioritize or fixate one or two of the three pillars of sustainability at the expense of the others, which can have negative consequences on the remaining pillars. Here are a few examples:

    • Social Fixation: A business might prioritize social sustainability by prioritizing the needs and well-being of its employees, even if this means lower profits or less efficient processes

      • Negative Environmental Impacts: Social decisions can come at the expense of environmental sustainability, could result in increased greenhouse gas emissions, decreased energy efficiency, and/or generation of waste.

      • Negative Economic Impacts: Social decisions made at the expense of profitability can cause the company to go out of business, reduce salaries, halt growth, have layoffs, etc.

    • Environmental Fixation: A business might prioritize environmental sustainability by adopting green technologies or practices, even if this means higher costs or lower profits. 

      • Negative Economic Impacts: Implementing eco-friendly practices, using eco-friendly products, or phasing out environmentally harmful products could all potentially result in significant upfront costs, negative changes to business/customer operations, and.or reduced revenue from profitable revenue streams.

      • Negative Social Impacts: If increased costs due to poor economic sustainability are passed on to consumers, it could have negative consequences for social sustainability, as low-income consumers may struggle to afford the products or services.

    • Economic Fixation: A business might prioritize economic sustainability by focusing on maximizing profits, even if this means cutting corners on environmental protection or social responsibility.

      • Negative Social Impacts: The company might prioritize increasing profit margins over employee salaries, or might utilize outdated/inefficient equipment rather than upgrade to newer, safer, and more efficient technologies.

      • Negative Environmental Impacts: A company that dumps toxic chemicals into a river to save money on waste disposal costs could have negative consequences for the environment and the surrounding community.

  • Overall, it is important for individuals and businesses to consider the impact of their actions on all three pillars of sustainability and strive for a balanced approach that takes into account the economic, environmental, and social impacts of their decisions.

Partnerships for the Goals:

• Goal 17 is about revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.

  • The 2030 Agenda is universal and calls for action by all countries – developed and developing – to ensure no one is left behind.

  • It requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.

  • The Sustainable Development Goals can only be realized with a strong commitment to global partnership and cooperation.

• Significant challenges remain. Official development assistance (ODA) has not reached the targeted level; private investment flows are not well aligned with sustainable development; there continues to be a significant digital divide; and there are on-going trade tensions.

  • To be successful, everyone will need to mobilize both existing and additional resources and developed countries will need to fulfill their official development assistance commitments.

Sustainability in Action (Examples)

• Today, there are some good examples of companies (both large & small) that make significant efforts & progress towards a Sustainable future.

  •  Many companies track their progress towards the three pillars of sustainability as part of their regular (typically annually) self-auditing/reporting processes

• Overall, the following companies are making significant efforts to support the 3 pillars of sustainability through their business practices and corporate social responsibility programs:

1.1✔ CHECKPOINT

Sustainability & YOU

1. Describe what "Sustainability" means to you, and why it is important.

2. Describe a situation where you or someone you observed made a decision solely based on just one of the 3 Pillars of Sustainability (People/Planet/Profit), and explain the consequences it had on the other 2 Pillars.

3. Pick one goal from each of the 3 "layers" of the SDG Wedding Cake & summarize why it is important to achieving a sustainable future. (3 goals in total)

4. Research & find another company other than the 3 listed in this module (Siemens, Autodesk, & Festo) that makes efforts towards sustainability, and provide a link and summarization of what they do & how they are doing it sustainably.