Sustainable Development: What It Really Means

Sustainable development—everybody’s talking about it, but what do those two words really mean? Let’s take a couple of minutes to see what sustainable development is all about.

The idea first emerged in the late 1980s as a response to the world’s growing social and environmental problems. With globalization, the inequality gap between rich and poor countries is widening every day, and the projections for population growth are alarming.

How are we going to feed a total of nine billion people in 2050?

How can we offer everyone access to clean drinking water, healthcare, and education?

How can we protect biodiversity and take concrete action against climate change?

How can we make sure that industrial development means progress for everyone?

The proposed solution was a new kind of development, or rather a variation of the traditional model, called quite simply SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

The term was officially defined in 1987 as part of the preparations for the Rio Earth Summit. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Does that sound a little abstract to you? Let’s put it this way:

“Sustainable development means that growth must be accomplished with respect for nature and humankind.”

And where is sustainability achieved? Right here at the crossroads of economic goals, social responsibility, and environmental protection.

Now, are you wondering whether a company can combine respect for the environment, social equity, and commercial success? Well, the answer is YES. Not only that, but sustainable development creates value. Here’s how:

• Upgrading Production Tools: Using less energy and water is good for the environment and for the pocketbook.
• Eco-Design Products and Packaging: Using just what’s necessary saves materials and reduces shipping costs.
• Employee Engagement: Paying attention to employees, improving their quality of life at work, and helping them develop their skills all serve to strengthen their engagement. Stronger employee engagement means better overall performance.
• Accessible Products: Creating products that are accessible to the world’s poorest populations means opening new markets—the ones whose populations are going to grow the fastest between now and 2050.
• Monitoring Working Conditions: Ensuring good working conditions offered by suppliers and subcontractors minimizes risks that could damage the company’s image.

As you can see, sustainable development affects just about everything. More and more companies today understand that they have important economic, social, and environmental responsibilities and are committed to making a difference. The ones that seize this opportunity to create value will find that their success is, in a word, sustainable.

Achieving a Net Zero Economy in 2022: Pioneering Sustainable Solutions

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed. Achieving “net zero” means that a country, business, or individual emits no more GHG than what they can absorb or offset, typically through methods like carbon capture, reforestation, or renewable energy. The goal is to limit global warming and mitigate climate change impacts by reducing overall carbon emissions.

The Net Zero Economy Index 2023 reveals that to achieve global climate targets by 2050, the world must cut carbon emissions by 17.2% annually. This ambitious goal demands extensive efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors. It necessitates innovative solutions and policies in sustainability to significantly advance towards a nature-positive future.

High-Emitting Sectors: Key Areas for Innovation

We believe that it is precisely in the high-emitting sectors where some of the most important work is being done. Here are some groundbreaking examples:

Construct Sustainably

As construction companies, you play a key role in shaping our environment. Moving towards net zero means reducing the carbon emissions generated during the construction process and throughout the building’s lifecycle. By adopting sustainable practices and technologies, you can help India achieve its climate goals while also gaining long-term economic benefits. Here are some practical steps:

• Use Energy-Efficient Materials

Fly Ash Bricks or Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks: These reduce the carbon footprint compared to traditional clay bricks.

Low-Carbon Cement: Opt for cements that use alternative fuels and lower-energy production processes (e.g., Portland Pozzolana Cement).

Recycled Steel and Wood: By using recycled or sustainably sourced materials, you can minimize the need for new resource extraction, reducing emissions.

• Energy-Efficient Building Design

Green Building Certification: Follow green building guidelines such as the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) or LEED certifications, which promote energy-efficient designs.

Passive Design Techniques: Leverage natural ventilation, sunlight, and shading to reduce the need for heating, cooling, and artificial lighting. Simple design choices like placing windows to maximize airflow can reduce energy consumption significantly.

• Renewable Energy Sources

Solar Power: Install solar panels on construction sites and buildings to use renewable energy, cutting down on electricity drawn from fossil-fuel-based grids.

Onsite Solar Power for Construction Equipment: Use solar-powered tools and temporary lighting to reduce diesel or electricity consumption during construction.

• Water Management and Efficiency

Rainwater Harvesting: Collect rainwater for use in construction and reduce reliance on external water sources.

Greywater Recycling: Use treated wastewater for purposes such as dust suppression, curing concrete, or landscaping.

• Efficient Waste Management

Reuse and Recycle Construction Waste: Implement practices to reuse materials like concrete, steel, and wood, reducing the need for new raw materials.

Minimize Waste on Site: By carefully planning your material usage and construction timelines, you can avoid excess waste, which contributes to emissions when disposed of in landfills.

• Sustainable Transportation for Materials

Use Locally Sourced Materials: Transporting materials over long distances adds to emissions. By sourcing materials locally, you can reduce fuel use and support the local economy.

• Adopt Electric or Hybrid Construction Equipment

As India’s construction sector grows, transitioning to electric or hybrid construction equipment can significantly cut down emissions from diesel-powered machinery.

• Incorporate Green Spaces

Green Roofs and Walls: These features not only reduce the building’s energy demand but also absorb CO2 and improve air quality.

Landscaping with Native Plants: Choose native plant species that require less water and maintenance and help improve biodiversity.

Sustainable Restaurant

Restaurants can significantly contribute to reducing carbon emissions by adopting sustainable practices in sourcing, operations, and energy use. This can also lead to cost savings, enhance customer satisfaction, and align with India’s sustainability goals. Here are practical steps for restaurants to be part of the sustainable development movement:

1. Source Locally and Seasonally

• Support Local Farmers: By sourcing fruits, vegetables, and meats from local farms, you reduce the transportation emissions associated with importing food.
• Seasonal Menus: Use seasonal produce, which requires less energy to grow and store, reducing your carbon footprint.

2. Reduce Food Waste

• Portion Control and Menu Planning: Carefully plan portion sizes and menu items to avoid excess food waste.
• Composting: Set up a composting system for organic waste. This reduces the methane emissions from food waste in landfills and can even be used to enrich gardens or local farms.

3. Switch to Energy-Efficient Equipment

• Energy-Efficient Kitchen Appliances: Invest in energy-efficient stoves, ovens, and refrigerators, which consume less power. Look for equipment with a 5-star energy rating.
• Induction Cooktops: Consider using induction cooking, which is faster and more energy-efficient than traditional gas or electric stoves.

4. Renewable Energy for Operations

• Solar Panels: Install solar panels on the roof of your restaurant to power kitchen appliances, lighting, and air conditioning. Solar energy reduces reliance on fossil fuels and saves on electricity bills in the long run.
• Solar Water Heating: For water heating, install solar water heaters to reduce electricity use.

5. Water Conservation Practices

• Water-Efficient Fixtures: Install low-flow faucets and toilets to reduce water usage in kitchens and washrooms.
• Rainwater Harvesting: Collect rainwater for non-potable uses, such as cleaning floors and flushing toilets, which reduces dependency on municipal water supplies.

6. Sustainable Packaging and Waste Management

• Eco-Friendly Packaging: Replace single-use plastic and Styrofoam containers with biodegradable, compostable, or reusable packaging. Look for materials like bagasse (sugarcane waste), bamboo, or paper.
• Minimize Packaging: Encourage customers to bring their own containers for takeaways and deliveries, or offer incentives for reusing packaging.

7. Energy-Efficient Lighting and Cooling

• LED Lighting: Switch to LED bulbs, which use significantly less energy and last longer than traditional lighting.
• Energy-Efficient Air Conditioning: Ensure your air conditioning units have high energy-efficiency ratings, or consider using ceiling fans to reduce energy consumption.

8. Sustainable Design and Construction

• Natural Ventilation: Design your restaurant to maximize airflow and reduce the need for air conditioning.
• Green Building Materials: When renovating, use low-carbon materials like bamboo or reclaimed wood, and opt for non-toxic paints and finishes.

9. Promote Plant-Based Menu Options

• Introduce Plant-Based Meals: Meat production is a significant source of carbon emissions. By offering plant-based dishes, you can reduce your restaurant’s overall carbon footprint.
• Sustainable Seafood: If offering seafood, ensure it’s sourced from sustainable fisheries to avoid overfishing and maintain ocean ecosystems.

10. Digital Transformation

• Paperless Operations: Shift to digital menus, billing, and inventory systems to cut down on paper waste.
• Online Food Delivery with Sustainability in Mind: Use electric vehicles or bicycles for food deliveries to reduce emissions.

Textile Industry

• Fabric Nano: This biotech startup has found a way to sustainably synthesize bioplastics and fossil fuel-free chemical ingredients at scale. They produce these chemicals 100 times faster than normal petroleum-based products. Their breakthroughs could mean that cell-free manufacturing could finally transcend niche to become commonplace.

Innovative Energy Solutions

• Human-Powered Steps: Making electricity from human-powered steps is a concept that has been around for a while but without a lot of market uptake. However, new technology developed by two Swiss labs means that for the first time, we can create electricity from wooden flooring. Wood is one of the most sustainable and popular building materials, but its electro neutrality has meant that it has been relatively ignored for energy harvesting. These scientists found a way to modify it with silicon and nano crystals, relatively environmentally friendly procedures, making it triboelectric.

Lab-Grown Wood

• MIT Research: What if you could grow wood in a lab? Researchers at MIT have not only discovered how to replicate wood by isolating tunable plant tissues but also to grow it in specific shapes, thereby reducing waste. Even though wood can be grown sustainably, this new technology has the capacity to transform our use of biomaterials and combat deforestation.

Sustainable Fashion

• Global Ecommerce Brand: Making affordable fashion sustainable is the goal of this global ecommerce brand. Everything is handmade to order in Spain and Portugal. Most importantly, they only make what is ordered, totally reducing unsold production waste. For every item ordered, they encourage you to resell something you no longer want. They also offset their carbon footprint and donate material scraps to independent fashion brands. With an annual average growth rate of 100 percent, this pioneering stockless fashion brand is on the rise.

Nature-Positive Business Solutions

• N Caves: This UN-funded research project is laying the groundwork for environmental and ecosystem accounting with pilots in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. The project is developing the tools, language, and structure for how we can measure the value of ecosystem services.
• Invest: This initiative has created a set of modeling tools to evaluate the impact of investments in natural infrastructure in cities. The software models the links between nature and the well-being of populations, demonstrating the way investors can become allies to nature.

Investing in Nature

• Costa Rica: Costa Rica is the first tropical country to have halted and actually reversed deforestation. By taxing fossil fuels, the government has financed a $500 million payout to landowners, saving more than 1 million hectares of forest and replanting 7 million trees. Costa Rica has been recognized as one of the most successful due to political will and a passion for and recognition of the importance of their environment.

As you can see, sustainable development affects just about everything. More and more companies today understand that they have important economic, social, and environmental responsibilities and are committed to making a difference. The ones that seize this opportunity to create value will find that their success is, in a word, sustainable.