Remember the Brundtland Report? Also called Our Common Future, published in 1987 by the WCED (World Commission on Environmental and Development). It introduced the concept of sustainability and stated how it can help us overcome future environmental challenges.
How do we say something is sustainable?
The basic definition is something that can continue for a long period without any disruption. When we relate it to the environment, it signifies dealing with climate changes. Along with, circumventing the lack of natural resources in the future, and upholding ecological balance.
This year the Earth overshoot day fell on 29 July, which means that we have consumed all the resources in seven months that the planet could generate in a year. If we continue with the current rate of consumption we would need two planets to sustain our existing route of life and economic system.
According to the latest scientific reports, ecological deficit, uncontrollable emissions, and high pollution levels are the only things we can sustain.
So, is sustainability what we need?
The answer is both yes and no. In favor because sustainability does not harm the planet and focuses on the irresponsible consumption of resources.
Against because sustainability alone is not enough. Hence, a new concept has been in discussion: regeneration.
It is one step ahead of sustainability, it prevents harm as well as rectify what has already been done and reestablish what has been lost.
How can we achieve sustainable regeneration?
According to the current scenario, we are failing the planet. Hence, we need to rethink and reconstruct our system and policies.
Sustainable presentation guarantees to build economies, communities, and organizations that prevail along with the planet.
There are three fundamental steps if we devote ourselves to a greener economy, achieving carbon neutrality, reducing global warming.
The three components of regenerative sustainability:
Our job is not done by just establishing new rules and introducing new ways to fight climate change. In fact, we need to learn to implement them in our daily life and pass them on to future generations.
For this, we need to understand the three components of regenerative sustainability:
Planet: This is a remarkable opportunity to reshape our lives, work, and businesses. We can begin by taking regenerative actions such as removing the emission which has already been released into the atmosphere. We should also address climate issues, ways to make our business greener, water clean, keep our biodiversity healthy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Community: Businesses, organizations, and institutions must come up with an interchanging strategy to handle structural inequalities along with climate crises.
Government: The government should push to promote ethics and integrity towards the management and consumption of resources. They should incorporate sustainable management into economic and financial functions by urging clarity, adaptability, and accuracy in their actions.
Why is regenerative sustainability important?
After years and years of using, extracting, and consuming the natural resources of the planet isn’t it fair if we talk about giving it back to the planet?
Our present economic model only focuses on the continuous extraction of natural resources and the production of vast amounts of waste materials.
This is a faulty economic model that is based on only the usage of resources and fossil fuels that leads us to global warming.
Hence, we came up with a sustainable approach talks about giving it back to the planet the same amount as we take. But unfortunately, it was not enough. Therefore, we are presently in need of a regenerative viewpoint in which we give much more than we take.
This is our last option to reduce our planet’s persistent pollution levels, uncontrollable emissions, and ecological inadequacy.
Natural disasters such as forest fires, floods, landslides, and earthquakes have become a daily occurrence due to rising temperatures, uncontrollable emissions, and irresponsible usage of natural resources.
The UN has instructed to decrease global emissions below the minimum set by the Paris Agreement.
If we consider this planet as our home we should come up with infrastructure that can replenish and restore what the planet has lost.
We need to work together and consistently to save our planet. The current times demand our attention and need to be adaptable, flexible, and persistent.