Strong sustainability: reconciling environmental, social and economic objectives

Summary

The video script emphasizes the importance of a just and sustainable ecological transition in response to the environmental damage caused by the overexploitation of natural resources. It introduces the concept of strong sustainability, which integrates economic, social, and environmental aspects, and rejects the notion that natural capital can be fully replaced by human-made capital. The script uses the example of sea fishing to illustrate the depletion of fish stocks and the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to resource management. It highlights the necessity for stakeholders to collaborate and prioritize scientific findings to establish a common trajectory towards a state where economic activities are harmonized with nature and social well-being. The video also touches on marine spatial planning as a tool for achieving these goals, emphasizing the role of state and local authorities in driving and coordinating this process.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Overexploitation of natural resources can lead to environmental damage and pose a significant threat to societies.
• 📉 The scarcity of raw materials due to overuse can jeopardize the operations of companies and the financial system.
• 💧 Biodiversity degradation can increase social and economic inequalities and lead to loss of income from drought or limited access to clean water.
• 🔄 Strong sustainability proposes a vision where economic and social spheres are interdependent with the environment.
• ⛔ The non-substitutability of natural capital by human-made capital is a core principle of strong sustainability.
• 🌿 Natural capital is essential as it is the source from which social and economic capital are derived.
• 🧮 Economic capital is linked to human and social capital through knowledge and societal institutions.
• 🐟 The example of sea fishing illustrates the depletion of fish stocks and the need for a strong sustainability model to prevent environmental degradation.
• 📊 A strong sustainability trajectory requires taking stock of environmental, economic, and social indicators for a global diagnosis.
• 🤝 Stakeholders must engage in dialogue, considering scientific findings to define a common trajectory for sustainable development.
• 🌊 Marine spatial planning involves the state and local authorities in a coordinated approach to pursue joint goals for sustainable use of marine resources.
• 🛠️ The strong sustainability approach is a long-term, ambitious process that addresses challenges in harmonizing biodiversity, social, and economic development.

Q & A

What is the primary concern with the overexploitation of natural resources?

The primary concern is environmental damage, which poses a significant threat to societies by causing scarcity of raw materials, jeopardizing company activities, and potentially leading to financial system instabilities due to physical shocks.

How does biodiversity degradation affect social and economic inequalities?

Biodiversity degradation can increase social and economic inequalities by resulting in loss of income due to drought or limited access to clean water, which disproportionately impacts the poor.

What is the fundamental proposition of strong sustainability?

Strong sustainability proposes a long-term vision where economic and social spheres are interdependent with the environment, and natural capital cannot be entirely replaced by human-made capital.

What are the three main principles of strong sustainability?

The three main principles are the non-substitutability of capital, multi-dimensionality, and the social construct.

Why is it important to consider non-substitutability of natural capital in strong sustainability?

Considering non-substitutability acknowledges that natural capital is unique and irreplaceable by human-made capital, emphasizing the need to preserve and protect it for long-term sustainability.

What does the strong sustainability model argue regarding economic investments and environmental degradation?

The model argues that economic investments cannot compensate for environmental degradation, as depleted natural capital cannot be fully replaced by progress in other areas.

How does the strong sustainability approach define a trajectory for sustainability?

It defines a trajectory by taking stock of the situation based on environmental, economic, and social indicators, achieving a global diagnosis that considers all these dimensions.

What is the role of multi-disciplinary perspectives in fisheries resource management?

Multi-disciplinary perspectives are crucial for a comprehensive understanding and management of fisheries resources, as they integrate not only the fish but also all affected species and the socioeconomic aspects of the entire sector.

What is the significance of stakeholder involvement in the strong sustainability approach?

Stakeholder involvement is essential for combining and prioritizing scientific findings to define a common trajectory towards a good state, where economic activities are harmonized with nature and social well-being.

How does marine spatial planning contribute to strong sustainability?

Marine spatial planning involves the state and local authorities in driving and coordinating roles, focusing on joint goals that pursue harmony between biodiversity, social, and economic development.

What is the ultimate goal of building strong sustainability trajectories in fields like sea fisheries?

The ultimate goal is to build policies that address and harmonize biodiversity, social, and economic development issues to sustain vital activities that are threatened with extinction.

What does the term 'multi-dimensionality' imply in the context of strong sustainability?

Multi-dimensionality implies considering various aspects such as environmental, economic, and social factors when making decisions that impact sustainability, rather than focusing on a single dimension.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Overexploitation of Natural Resources and Strong Sustainability

The paragraph discusses the severe environmental damage and threats to societies caused by the overexploitation of natural resources, such as scarcity of raw materials and potential financial system instability. It introduces the concept of strong sustainability, which proposes a long-term vision where economic and social activities are inseparable from environmental considerations. The paragraph emphasizes that natural capital cannot be entirely replaced by human-made capital and that economic, social, and environmental capitals are interdependent. It also outlines the three main principles of strong sustainability: non-substitutability of capital, multi-dimensionality, and the social construct. The example of sea fishing is used to illustrate the depletion of fish stocks and the need for a strong sustainability approach to manage resources effectively.

Keywords

💡Overexploitation

Overexploitation refers to the excessive use of natural resources to the point where they are depleted or damaged. This concept is central to the video's theme as it discusses the negative consequences of such actions on the environment and society. The script mentions that overexploitation can lead to scarcity of raw materials, which in turn can jeopardize the economic stability of companies and the financial system.

💡Environmental Damage

Environmental damage encompasses the harmful effects that human activities have on the natural world, including the depletion of resources, habitat destruction, and pollution. The video highlights this concept as a major threat to societies, as it can lead to a cascade of problems such as biodiversity degradation and increased social and economic inequalities.

💡Biodiversity Degradation

Biodiversity degradation is the reduction in the variety of species, genetic diversity, and the complexity of ecosystems. The video emphasizes the importance of biodiversity for maintaining ecological balance and the potential economic and social repercussions of its decline, such as loss of income due to drought or limited access to clean water.

💡Sustainable Ecological Transition

A sustainable ecological transition is the shift towards a way of living and producing that does not deplete natural resources and maintains the health of the environment for future generations. The video discusses the importance of ensuring such a transition in a just manner that does not compromise the development of poorer countries.

💡Strong Sustainability

Strong sustainability is a concept that advocates for a long-term vision where economic and social systems are interdependent with the environment and cannot exist independently of it. The video outlines this approach as one that considers natural capital as non-substitutable by human-made capital, and it is integral to the discussion on how to manage resources sustainably.

💡Non-Substitutability of Capital

The principle of non-substitutability of capital suggests that natural capital cannot be entirely replaced by human-made capital, such as social or economic capital. This principle is a cornerstone of strong sustainability and is highlighted in the video as a key consideration in managing resources like fish stocks, where economic investments cannot compensate for environmental degradation.

💡Multi-Dimensionality

Multi-dimensionality refers to the consideration of various aspects or dimensions when addressing a problem or making a decision. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the approach to resource management that takes into account environmental, economic, and social indicators to achieve a comprehensive understanding and solution.

💡Social Construct

A social construct is a concept or idea that exists within the social realm and is shaped by societal perceptions and values. The video mentions the social construct in relation to how societies view and manage their natural resources, emphasizing the need for human deliberation and consensus in defining a trajectory towards sustainability.

💡Fisheries Management

Fisheries management involves the oversight and regulation of fishing activities to ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks. The video uses this as an example to illustrate how strong sustainability principles can be applied, with the need to set up management tools that do not damage the capacity of fish stocks to renew themselves.

💡Marine Spatial Planning

Marine spatial planning is a process that brings together multiple stakeholders to make informed and coordinated decisions about the use of marine resources. The video highlights the importance of this approach in establishing joint goals and coordinating efforts to manage marine resources sustainably.

💡Harmonization

Harmonization refers to the process of making different elements or aspects work together in a harmonious or coordinated manner. In the video, harmonization is discussed as a necessary step in building policies that address biodiversity, social, and economic development issues simultaneously, ensuring that vital activities are not threatened with extinction.

Highlights

Overexploitation of natural resources leads to environmental damage, posing a major threat to societies.

This damage can result in scarcity of raw materials, jeopardizing company activities and financial system stability.

Biodiversity degradation can increase social and economic inequalities and lead to income loss due to factors like drought.

Strong sustainability proposes a long-term vision where the economic, social, and environmental spheres are interdependent.

Natural capital cannot be totally replaced by human-made capital like social or economic capital under strong sustainability.

Strong sustainability is built on the principles of non-substitutability of capital, multi-dimensionality, and the social construct.

Sea fishing serves as an example where overexploitation led to depletion of fish stocks and stagnation of catch levels since 1990.

Economic investments cannot compensate for environmental degradation, emphasizing the need for a strong sustainability model.

Defining a strong sustainability trajectory requires taking stock of the situation using environmental, economic, and social indicators.

A global diagnosis can be achieved by considering all dimensions of the problem, such as in the case of fish stock decline.

Fisheries resources management must be based on multi-disciplinary perspectives, integrating affected species and socioeconomic aspects.

The strong sustainability approach requires different actors to combine and prioritize scientific findings to define a common trajectory.

This approach does not rely on market adjustments but involves human deliberation, considering the principle of non-substitutability of capital.

In the case of fishing, this implies setting up management tools that do not damage the stock's capacity to renew itself.

Marine spatial planning involves state and local authorities in driving and coordinating roles to agree on joint goals.

Building strong sustainability trajectories is a long, ambitious process with many challenges, but is essential for harmonizing biodiversity, social, and economic development.

This approach is crucial for sustaining vital activities threatened with extinction, such as overexploited fisheries.

Transcripts

[Music]

we know that over exploitation of

Natural Resources leads to environmental

damage which represents a major threat

to our societies

for example over exploitation can lead

to a scarcity of raw materials

jeopardizing the activity of companies

that have contracted debts and by

extension exposing the financial system

to instabilities due to a physical shock

biodiversity degradation can also

increase social and economic

inequalities and result in loss of

income due to Drought or limited access

to clean water

in facing such challenges how can we

ensure a just and truly sustainable

ecological transition that does not

jeopardize the poorest country's

development among the possible

approaches strong sustainability stands

out it proposes a long-term Vision where

the economic and social spheres can no

longer exist independently of the

environment

strong sustainability articulates these

interdependent spheres by considering

that natural Capital can no longer be

totally replaced by human-made Capital

such as social capital or economic

capital

these capitals also depend on nature

since there are inevitably derived from

it similarly economic capital is

intimately linked to human and Social

Capital via knowledge or the

institutions governing our societies

therefore strong sustainability is built

on three main principles the

non-substitutability of capital

multi-dimensionality and the social

construct

easy to say

to better understand let's take the

example of sea fishing

for a long time it was assumed that

fishery resources were infinite however

there has been an overall depletion of

fish stocks and stagnation of catch

levels since 1990.

the strong sustainability model argues

that economic Investments cannot

compensate for environmental degradation

depleted

nickel progress can replace this natural

capital

but there is more to it to define a

strong sustainability trajectory we also

need to take stock of the situation

based on environmental economic and

social indicators

a global diagnosis can be achieved by

considering all these dimensions

let us retake our example of phishing to

tackle fish stock decline the analysis

must integrate not only fish but also

all affected species

consider the socioeconomic aspects of

the Fisheries sector as a whole from

boat to plate

today it has become clear that Fisheries

Resources management must be based on

multi-disciplinary perspectives

finally the strong sustainability

approach requires that the different

actors involved take into account

combine and prioritize scientific

findings to define a common trajectory

towards a good State a state where the

economic sphere is not isolated and

independent of Nature and the world this

construction does not require the

adjustment of the market via a price

mechanism but involves human

deliberation where ideally the principle

of non-substitutability of capital is

considered

in the case of fishing this implies for

example setting up fisheries management

tools so as not to damage the capacity

of the stock to renew itself

by engaging in this dialogue the

stakeholders concerned can agree on a

common objective

[Music]

agreeing on joint goals to pursue is at

the heart of marine spatial planning in

which the state and the local

authorities play driving and

coordinating Central roles this is the

third strong sustainability essential

principle building strong sustainability

trajectories in the sea Fisheries field

as in others is a long and ambitious

process with many challenges to be

addressed

but it is undoubtedly an essential

approach to build policies that

harmonize altogether biodiversity social

and economic development issues to

sustain vital activities threatened with

Extinction

[Music]