Strong Sustainability

What is it about?

Definition/Description The concept of sustainability includes a spectrum of perspectives ranging from a technocentric “very weak sustainability” position through to an ecocentric “very strong sustainability” one (Gibbs et al. 1998). Nowadays, it has been emphasized qualitative side of growth and strong sustainability (rigorous sustainability) position gearing to the green economy and environmental protection (Davies 2013). Environmental protection is seen to be crucial because certain natural resources, e.g., “critical natural capital,” are irreversible (Neumayer 2003; Turner 1993), provide some functions, and are not substitutable by produced capital (Balaceanu and Apostol 2014; Klarin 2018). Their loss reflects on all other forms of capital (Neumayer 2003; Turner 1993). Critical natural capital is stressed by defining sustainability as leaving a stock of natural capital for the future generations as big as enjoyed by the current generation (Cabeza Gutés 1996). Strong sustainability position has various variants such as “environmental” and “ecological sustainability” (Pezzey and Toman 2005; Turner 1993). Environmental sustainability is focused on maintaining the factors and practices that contribute to the quality of environment (BusinessDictionary 2018a) which is necessary for conducting the economic activities and quality of life of people on a long-term basis (Elkington 1994). Ecological sustainability is focused on protection and restoration of the integrity of the Earth’s ecological systems (Bosselmann 2017) for maintaining their essential functions and processes and retaining their biodiversity in full measure over the long term (BusinessDictionary 2018b). “Very strong sustainability” position again stresses steady-state economic system based on thermodynamic limits and constraints and minimization of matter and energy throughput (Davies 2013; Turner 1993).

Featured Image

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Summary Weak and strong sustainability positions are often used concepts within the field of economics. Weak sustainability position implies a constant amount of resources over the time, while natural and produced capital are interchangeable. Strong sustainability position in its part has biocentric perspective and preservationist ideal. Based on it, a system is to be seen as one element which changes as a whole. Advocates of strong sustainability position recommend the precautionary principle and stresses that those options which may generate the worst outcomes and encompasses should be avoided. Strong sustainability position regards natural capital as providing some functions that are not substitutable by produced capital. Consequently, conservation of natural capital and the application of the safe-minimum standard are in the core of strong sustainable strategy. In ethical reasoning collective interests take over individual ones. Strong sustainability position represents deep green economy where no economic and population growth is allowed. Advocates of strong sustainability position emphasize three milestones: eco-efficiency, eco-equity, and eco-effectiveness. Eco-efficiency is focused on economic activity with regard to nature’s goods and services and stresses fundamental changes in the way societies produce and consume resources. In the core of eco-equity are the equal rights of all peoples to environmental resources and social responsibility of the current generation for the future generations. Eco-effectiveness again try to find solutions for ecological problems. It also has requirements concerning a shift of mindset and transformation of business models. Very strong sustainability or deep ecology has ecocentric perspective. It has extreme preservationist ideal and stresses a “cultural” change. Based on bioethics, the advocates of very strong sustainability position emphasize intrinsic value in nature thinking that nature is valuable in its own right. They also support the idea of very deep green economy that economy must be heavily regulated to minimize “resource-take.”