Sustainability forum - Issue 3

Trade-offs: lifestyles vs environment

by Bruce Taylor, PCE principal investigator and team leader, Sustainability review 2007

Is sustainable development about trade-offs and compromises?

Does sustainable development mean arriving at compromises or finding trade-offs between environmental, social, cultural and economic interests?

'Weak sustainability' is a term used to describe an interpretation of sustainable development in which it is assumed that degradation of one component, for example, the environment can be compensated for by improvements in another, such as the economy and lifestyles. Weak sustainability ignores the constraints of the natural systems of our planet upon which humans, other species, social and economic structures, etc. all depend.

On the other hand, 'strong sustainability' recognises that, to be sustainable, society and the economic activity within it must function in a way that does not exceed the capacity of the biosphere to provide for and absorb the effects of human activities. So instead of thinking about trade-offs or compromises, we need to think in terms of operating our economy and functioning as a society within an environmental 'budget' that has no overdraft or credit facilities to draw on. If we are to take sustainability seriously we need to take a critical look at the rationale behind and the consequences of the choices we make as individuals, communities and society as a whole.

How do you make your choices?

More questions

Further environmental challenges to be posed over the coming weeks include:

• Does sustainable development have to be a compromise or trade-off between environmental, social, cultural and economic interests? If so, why?
• What are the merits and drawbacks of sustainable development as a basis for decision-making?
• What has been learned by those who have adopted sustainable development principles?

Links to:

• Back to sustainability review project page