Sustainability Indicators (HL IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))

Sustainability Indicators

• Sustainability indicators are quantitative measures used to assess various aspects of sustainability

  • These indicators can be specific to biodiversity, pollution, human population, climate change and many other factors

    • Some well-known sustainability indicators include ecological footprints, carbon footprints and water footprints

  • Sustainability indicators can be applied across different scales, from local to global, to evaluate the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability

    • For example, they can help us understand if something is environmentally friendly, socially fair and economically viable

Ecological footprints

• An ecological footprint (EF) is a theoretical concept that acts as a valuable tool used to assess the environmental impact of human populations

  • It quantifies the area of land and water required to support a specific population at a particular standard of living

  • An EF is measured in global hectares (gha) per capita (i.e. hectares per person) per unit time

• The ecological footprint provides a comprehensive measure of the demands that human populations place on the environment

  • It takes into account the resources consumed by individuals, such as food, energy, water and materials, as well as the waste generated and the ecosystem services required to absorb that waste

  • By considering these factors, ecological footprints help to evaluate the sustainability of human activities

• EFs can be used to compare the sustainability of different lifestyles, businesses and even whole countries

  • If the EF of a lifestyle, business or country exceeds the area available to the population (also known as the biocapacity—the amount of resources that the planet can provide sustainably), it means that it is not sustainable in the long-term

  • In the UK, for example, the ecological footprint is estimated to be about 4.2 global hectares (gha) per person per year, whilst the biocapacity is only around 1.7 gha per person per year, indicating that the UK population is living unsustainably

• To reduce an EF, it is important to adopt more sustainable practices, such as reducing meat consumption, using renewable energy sources and using public transport or walking instead of driving

• EFs are a useful tool for promoting sustainable development and for raising awareness about the impact of human activities on the environment

Other sustainability indicators

Carbon footprints

• The carbon footprint measures the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by a person, activity, business or country

  • Carbon footprints are usually measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (in tonnes) per year

• Carbon footprints can help us understand how much our actions contribute to global climate change

  • For example, the carbon footprint of a UK citizen is approximately 5.5 tonnes of CO₂ per year

Water footprints

• Water footprints measure the amount of water used directly or indirectly to produce certain goods and services

  • For example, this could include water used for crop irrigation or water used for manufacturing processes

  • Understanding water footprints helps us manage water resources more sustainably

  • Water footprints are usually measured in cubic metres per year