A Crash Course in Essential Environmental Metrics

Although some see sustainable development as the invention of the UN, the idea is larger and older than that. The concept of sustainable development has emerged as an alternative to the traditional consumer attitude to nature. Today, it is one of the most widespread and supported by the world community concepts of interaction between society and nature.

There are lots of environmental reports that portray that we are almost too close to destroying nature. An extreme climatic situation has been observed on the planet recently: glaciers are melting, the level of carbon dioxide is growing, and 2015–2019 became the hottest period in history.

Getting sustainability education and making sense of key environmental metrics is the first step to taking action to protect the future of the planet.

Main Environmental Metrics

Waste of Natural Resources

As of July 29, humanity has exhausted an annual supply of natural resources (water, clean air, soil, etc.), which the planet is able to restore within a year. Humankind uses nature 1.75 times faster than the ecosystem of our planet can restore. It’s as if we are using the resources of 1.75 of the Earth.

Such environmental waste leads to devastating consequences, in particular the disappearance of forests, soil erosion, loss of biological diversity, and an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which leads to climate change. Learn how to turn waste into resources here.

Air Pollution

Polluted air not only causes global warming but also provokes various diseases in people. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere of the planet for the first time in 800 thousand years exceeded the mark of 415 ppm. This is evidenced by observations from the Scripps Institution Oceanographic Institute, which measures carbon dioxide levels on Mount Mauna Loa daily.

According to research, from March 1958 to November 2018, the level of CO2 in the air has grown from 333 to 406 ppm. On average, the volume of CO2 increased by about 2 ppm per year. The greatest growth occurred in the twentieth century. If in 1910 the atmospheric CO2 content totaled 300 ppm, which is already higher than in the last 800 thousand years, in the last hundred years it has increased by more than 100 ppm particles of carbon dioxide.

Note: the reason for the growth was an increase in the burning of fossil rocks and deforestation of large areas (in particular, for the expansion of agricultural land and urban areas). As a result, the natural cooling cycle has undergone changes and heat began to accumulate at the surface.

Earth Temperature Rise

Environmentalists say that humanity still has a chance to keep global warming at 1.5 ° C (compared to the pre-industrial level) until the end of the century. But for this, it is necessary to gradually abandon fossil fuels, and the process should be started right now. If carbon emissions are reduced to zero over the next four decades, then, with a probability of 66%, the global temperature increase will not exceed 1.5 ° C. But if we do not start the process of switching to green sources before 2030, the chances will drop to 33%.

So how can we change this situation for the better? One of the answers is sustainable development.

Growing a Sustainable Mindset

Economically, sustainable development can be described, for example, as a process, in which production increases, but resource costs decrease. This thesis raises two questions:

1. How do we reconcile the expectations of people from all over the world who want to escape poverty and achieve prosperity, with decreasing resource reserves and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions?
2. With expanding access to energy, people’s lives will undoubtedly become better, but at the same time, will this not lead to an increase in the production, consumption, and running out of resources?

The answer lies in the general awareness of the problem. Sustainable development is reflected both in the social sphere and in the aspect of environmental protection. The existence of humankind cannot become environmentally friendly until we learn to do more with less and ensure the continued health of the ecosystem.

This, of course, means a sustainable business tactic: increasing material efficiency and replacing some materials with others. On the one hand, such a transition will not receive political and social support until the population is aware of these problems and supports the necessary changes.

In general, humanity can choose between two paths. One will lead us into the world of winners and losers with increased competition for limited resources, where the ability to adapt will be crucial, but not widely available. Another will lead us to the world where we can use our knowledge to form a unified approach and where the historical tasks become opportunities for creating new industries, jobs, and development models.

Final Word

The sustainable future of the planet depends on us and we should act right now. If you want your company to follow the latest trends and be environmental-friendly, it’s time to engage in sustainable development learning.

SustainOnline is a sustainability platform to offer sustainability training, reporting, and analysis to millions of SMEs and large global companies. We provide sustainability education online to grow a sustainable mindset in you and your employees and make sure you create a winning business case while leaving your mark on preserving our planet.