Compiled & Medically reviewed by 
Dr.Sanjana.V.B. Bhms. Dbrm.Cdn

Sustainable living

      Sustainable living is a practical life style choice or philosophy that aims to reduce personal and environmental impact by making positive changes. Sustainable living means we prioritize the use of natural and renewable resources instead of creating excess waste and depleting environmental resources for future generations. Sustainable living can counteract climate change and other negative environmental concerns happening from human activity of exploiting natural resources.

More precisely, sustainable living is a method of reducing one’s “carbon footprint”.

In this life style people learn to minimize their use of Earth’s resources and reduce the  personal and environmental impact.

The  history of origin of sustainability concept     

   The term seems to have first been defined and popularized by the World Commission on Environment and Development in its 1987 report, “Our Common Future” ( The Brundtland Report) Published by the United Nations through the Oxford University Press.

 The document presented environment-related concerns in the context of political development and sustainable development is explained in the report as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

     Sustainability or sustainable living was an idea proposed to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.

Living sustainably means” curb expenditure” in order to protect and improve our environment.”

    The natural resource base to supply food is being threatened by overfishing, land degradation, and more human activities exploiting natural resources. All these unbridled exploitations are polluting the world’s freshwater supplies faster than nature can purify them, and excessive use of water is contributing to global water stress. And household energy usage is contributing to 21 percent of consequential CO2 emissions.

     The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and they all focus on the peace and prosperity of the planet and its inhabitants,  with the goal of ensuring clean water and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and animal life on land and underwater.

Global movements towards sustainability

·       In June 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 178 countries adopted  a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment.

·       The Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Summit led to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

·       The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation, adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa in 2002, reaffirmed the global community's commitments to poverty eradication and the environment, and built on Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration by including more emphasis on multilateral partnerships.

·       At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development  in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, Member States adopted the outcome document "The Future We Want”. The Rio +20 outcome also contained other measures for implementing sustainable development, including mandates for future programmes of work in development financing, small island developing states and more.

·       In 2013, the General Assembly set up a 30-member Open Working Group to develop a proposal on the SDGs.

·       In January 2015, the General Assembly began the negotiation process on the post-2015 development agenda. The process culminated in the subsequent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 SDGs at its core, at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015.

·       2015 was a landmark year for multilateralism and international policy shaping, with the adoption of several major agreements: 

Sustainable Development Goals

 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

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

 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

      The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUSES ON :

·       Renewable Energy usage:

     Renewable energy includes energy derived from unlimited sources (i.e. sun, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass) that are clean to use and much less impactful to source.The benefits of renewable energy, both environmentally and economically, make it one of the biggest sustainable living solutions

·       Consume less energy & water

     This includes more than just turning off the lights when leaving a room or unplugging appliances that are not used daily; think of changing your bulbs for energy-efficient ones and switching to a smart thermostat to more accurately detect and auto-balance your home’s temperature.

 Try cooking without using the oven, stove, or microwave. And take shorter showers with cooler water and reduce power consumption.

 Consume less water for washing hands. Avoid wastage of water  while washing clothing,vehicles etc.Don’t leave the water running when cleaning your face

·       Less food wastage

Try meal-planning or seasonal eating to avoid accumulating excess food that will ultimately go to waste.So take only that amount of food which is needed. 

·       Sustainable travel

While possible keep your car’s engine off and walk, bike, or take public transportation.

 For trips to nearby destinations, consider walking  or cycling .

  As far as possible choose direct flight travel and look for airlines that are implementing carbon offsetting (like JetBlue). 

·       Sustainable clothing

      When you go for buying clothing opt for biodegradable fabrics, like linen. Even when shopping for items other than clothes, look for fair trade certifications to ensure that the pieces were created in conditions that were safe, empowering to their artisans, and protective of the environment.

·       Organic and Regenerative Farming:

            Mostly organic food is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. It’s not only better for sustainability but your health also. In fact, inorganic farming is one of the leading causes of biodiversity extinction.

Agricultural pesticides can kill insects and the food chain is adversely affected by chemical usage. About 40% of the world’s insect species are declining, which will only lead to a food chain catastrophe. 

    Regenerative agriculture is a method of organic farming that restores carbon and health to the soil which aims at  drawing down carbon from the atmosphere while improving productivity. Project Drawdown lists Regenerative Agriculture as the 11th most impactful solution for drawing down carbon and ultimately reversing climate change. Adopting a plant rich diet is considered as an impactful way for sustainable living.

     Growing your own food using organic methods keep you healthy both physically and mentally along with reduction of pollution of environment. It creates a green earth or environment.

It not only imparts greens to urban spaces but also reduces carbon, makes cities greener, increases biodiversity and reduces food travel.

We can massively reduce food waste in the home with better planning, preserving and freezing food, finding creative ways of using food scraps, composting and growing your own food.

·       Sustainable construction: 

   Avoid using synthetic materials like vinyl and PVC in constructing buildings. Sustainable  living focuses on organic and biodegradable materials like adobe, untreated wood, bamboo (like Tencel), recycled metal, straw, and reclaimed brick for making buildings.

     Adopt green building designs. People and environment may face severe consequences if our current consumption of natural resources increases and more waste is added to the environment.

    Environmental degradation would be the catastrophe we may face if we consume natural resources at an unsustainable rate. This is often a result of economic growth demanding more production of goods or commodities.

Finding ways to ensure sustainable living must be the top priority if we have to live in harmony with nature, preserving biodiversity. We may have to break the link between economic growth and environmental damage.

A few sustainable living options

·       Empower organic farmers & people with agricultural and financial support they needed to make a fair living without cutting down trees.

·       Don’t use plastic bags at checkout. Instead, take your own bags for groceries.

·       Buy your grains & groceries in bulk from your local farmer’s markets.

·       Avoid buying plastic-wrapped products, opt for a paper bag instead.

·       Stop buying bottled water. Use your own steel or glass bottles filled with water.

·       Shop at bulk food stores for any goods, avoid frequent food travels. Better take products in your own jars or bags.

·       Take your own paper bags or a container when buying snacks .

·       Support fashion brands that are ethical and environmentally conscious.

·       Learn how to find sustainable materials when shopping.

·       Go paperless to avoid deforestation or falling down trees for making paper.

·       Opt to receive digital letters and notices.

·       Send electronic wedding invitations.

·       Collect scrap paper in a tray.

·       Turn off your computer before leaving work.

·       Get rid of your home printer.

·       Unplug workstation from ports overnight to reduce phantom power.

·       If you need business cards, use an eco-friendly printer.

·       Add small pot plants to your workspace. Adopt green office environment

·       Always use double-sided printing where possible.

·       Juice the off-cuts of your vegetables and fruits.

·       Repurpose glass jars usage.

·       Use washable metal straws instead of disposable plastic straws.

·       Limit the use of hot water when hand washing dishes.

·       Use cloths instead of paper towels.

·       Make your own coffee instead of buying takeaway.

·       Ditch your bin liner or use newspaper instead.

·       Start composting the vegetable and food waste.

·       Reduce your food waste by eating only what you need.

·       Invest in a pressure cooker and reduce your cooking time and save energy.

·       Go makeup-free for one week each month.

·       Use sustainable natural cosmetic products.

·       Limit the amount of water you use to brush your teeth.

·       Make your own face cleanser and scrub.

·       Don’t leave the water running when cleaning your face.

·       Consider using shampoo bars to reduce packaging.

·       Read labels for toxic and harmful chemicals on every product you purchase.

Reference

1.    https://sdgs.un.org/goals

2.    https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-living/what-is-sustainable-living/

3.    https://www.wwf.org.uk/what-we-do/promoting-sustainable-living

4.    https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/sustainable-living-definition/

5.    https://theminimalistvegan.com/live-a-more-sustainable-lifestyle/