Sustainability revisited

Sustainability can be defined as a way of life that ensures current social well-being without compromising the same opportunity for future generations. It encompasses certain objectives that represent ethical values, leading to freedom, responsibility, happiness, individual and social fulfillment. A way of life that goes beyond individual and social behavior, finding its true expression in global economic activities. The economy is at the foundation of sustainability.

 On one hand, we need to investigate the philosophical underpinnings of these ethical value and consider the possibility of their universal acceptance, irrespective of specific societal conditions. On the other hand, we need to understand why we need the concept of sustainability, as concepts emerge to answer particular issues that cannot be taken for granted.

 The absence of sustainability poses a threat to humanity as a whole. It cannot be addressed by a fraction of society at the expenses of the rest. It must be a global objective; otherwise, the necessary economic conditions to achieve it will not materialize, and the economy is the sole social domain capable of funding social objectives.

The economy lies at the core of the sustainability challenge, as it has historically been liked to major environmental and social threats faced by humanity, especially in recent centuries when science and new forms of capitalism thrived. Is there strong correlation or cause-and-effect relationship among these social phenomena?

 For the first time in human history, a shared global objective - sustainability – is being considered. What conditions must be met for global objectives to gain widespread acceptance? Are these conditions present today? What is the state of global governance? Is Kantian global and eternal peace (or something similar) a prerequisite for sustainability?

 Freedom and responsibility must be addressed together, and the concept of happiness must be defined, as should the balance between individual and social fulfillment. Can the human race collectively agree on certain ethical values that lead to sustainability, regardless of the prevailing social values in each society?

 Environmental and social threats should be viewed separately. Environmental threats are mainly linked to economic externalities, with costs and benefits that do not impact these agents financially. These costs and benefits become public.

 Hence, global and local societies must confront the issue of economic externalities to achieve environmental sustainability. The first step in addressing critical environmental issues is to avoid the practical use of the concept of externality in economics. The global accounting system should connect all costs and benefits to economic processes, value chains and specific businesses, and the transfer of hidden economic costs to society must cease.

 Economic externality is not the sole obstacle. The development and utilization of all factors of production without considering the ethical value of sustainability are equally significant. Technological development must be assessed for its sustainability impact on the environment and workers’ income. The cost of capital and state taxes must differ for sustainable versus unsustainable projects. The utilization of land, air, water, minerals, renewable sources of energy, nature and other major “natural resources” must prioritize permanent environmental health, rather than treating them as “independent economic resources”.

 Social sustainability focuses on global social development, not just pure economic growth, regardless of social conditions. There is a clear trend of wealth concentration in capitalism that must be socially regulated to achieve social development, which primarily requires political maturity. Historically, the cultural and economic spheres have dominated the political ambit.

 There is also a historical trend of competing in international markets based on low labor costs, primarily in labor-intensive industries. This means that countries and regions with lower labor costs have a distinct advantage over others, resulting in the few benefiting at the expense of many.

 In matures democracies, the well-being of workers is prioritized and reflected in wages. In less democratic states and regions, economic power prevails (either the power of the state or certain elites), resulting in wages below the minimum required for a reasonable existence. As long as labor is treated as just another economic factor of production, this trend will persist. Labor should be an integral part of the joint objective of social development, not merely a factor of production.

 In sustainable societies, the economy serves social development. In less sustainable societies, the economy primarily serves economic growth for the benefit of certain elite groups. Sustainability is not a consideration in these cases. Global leadership from developed societies is crucial for implementing the concept of human sustainability. Global dialogue and effective governance are more vital than decisions based on military, economic, or any other power source in social relations.

 The exploration of sustainability necessitates a comprehensive analysis of all these issues and themes concurrently, rather than prioritizing one over the other. It is essential to recognize that businesses (the economy) must also be sustainable to achieve social sustainability, as the economy is the primary source capable of financing equitable social development. Thus, the autonomy and interdependence of all social domains – economy, culture, and politics – are essential prerequisites for sustainability.

Global governance requires urgent and profound changes to effectively address social issues including the sustainability objective. Governance entails that transparent politics, based on consensus rather than power, must prevail over clandestine politics, as the latter ultimately leads to conflicts, destruction, and less sustainable solutions for humanity.

 Luiz M Flores