INTRODUCING SUSTAINABILITY & ITS VITALITY WITHIN TODAY'S WORLD

Written by Amira Balqis, Rachel Kang

What is Sustainability and Sustainable Development?

• Sustainability ; The ability to exist and develop without depleting natural resources for the future

• Sustainable Development ; Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (according to United Nations in the Brundtland Report)

Three Pillars of Sustainability 

1. Environmental protection; concerned with the reduction of carbon footprints, water usage, non-decomposable packaging, and wasteful processes as part of a supply chain.

2. Social development; treating employees fairly and ensuring responsible, ethical, and sustainable treatment of employees, stakeholders, and the community in which a business operates. 

3. Economic development; generating profit in accordance with other elements of sustainability.

Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7): Affordable and Clean Energy

• Adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.

Aim: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Facts and Figures: 

• About 1 billion people live without electricity.

• Nearly 4 million people die each year from illnesses caused by household air pollution from inefficient cooking practices.

Environmental impact of Energy Systems :

• Local, regional and global pollution from the combustion of fuels, climate change

• Integrity and stability of different ecosystems. 

• Major contributor to human health problems due to air pollution caused by the combustion of fuels. 

Targets: 

1. Universal access to modern energy

2. Increase global percentage of renewable energy

3. Expand and upgrade energy services for developing countries

Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12): Responsible Consumption and Production

Aim: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Facts and Figures:

1. Annually, 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans, and over 40 million tonnes of electronic waste are generated

2. One-third of food produced every year is wasted

Targets:

1. Halve per capita global food waste and reduce food losses

2. Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption production (SCP)

3. Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies

Why is Sustainability Important?

• Preserving planet for future generations 

• Mitigating climate change

• Protecting natural resources sustainably

• Supporting ethical, sustainable practices

• Promoting social equity

• Being sustainable saves money in the long run

Example of Sustainability Practices:

• Renewable energy use

• Creating environmentally friendly products

• Recycling and waste reduction

• Fleet conversion

• Composting

• Ethical sourcing

• Employee care

• Corporate social responsibility 

Research Highlight: Impact of Sustainability in Today’s World

1. Thermal Batteries

• Energy Demand: A significant 20% of global energy demand is used for generating heat in industrial processes, mostly from burning fossil fuels. 

• Innovations: Companies such as Rondo Energy are leading the way with thermal batteries. These batteries convert electricity into heat and store it for later use. Antora Energy similarly uses carbon-based blocks to both generate and store heat efficiently.

2. AI-Driven Energy Management 

• Google’s Initiatives: Google has been using a DeepMind-built AI system to control certain parts of its power-hungry data for a few months.

• Impact: The system has been able to reduce the energy consumption of its data centre cooling units by as much as 40% with the help of a DeepMind AI system.

References:

1. What is Sustainability and Why is it so Important? (n.d.). https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/faq-what-is-sustainability#WhatdoesSustainabilityMean

2. Wikipedia contributors. (2024, August 6). Sustainable development goals. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

3. Why is Sustainability Important? - Clean the World. (2023, September 12). Clean the World. https://cleantheworld.org/blog/why-is-sustainability-important/

4. Crownhart, C. (2024, April 16). How thermal batteries are heating up energy storage. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/04/15/1091042/thermal-batteries-heat-energy-storage/

5. Google harnesses the power of AI to cut energy use. (2020, February 6). World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/07/google-harnesses-the-power-of-ai-to-cut-energy-use/

Other Resources:

1. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25764/SDG12_Brief.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 

2. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25762/SDG7_Brief.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y