Concept of Sustainable Development

Definition of Sustainable Development – 必背

Level 1 – Sustainable Development in Time
Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Meets the needs of the present Need to meet the present
• Without compromising the ability of future generations Not harming the future

Level 2 – Sustainable Development in Balance

Sustainable development achieves between the economic, social and environmental
aspect.
• Economic  Cultural
 Political
• Social
• Environment

Sustainability

Present Needs Future Needs

Meet the present needs Without sacrificing the future

Components of Sustainable Development

Economic Sustainability
Economic sustainability aims to achieve long-term (future) economic benefits. Not only
considering current return of economic benefit only but also the future benefits and costs.
Future benefits: The benefits obtained in long-run for example future wealth, goodwill
Future costs: Opportunity cost such as time cost, pollution cost, injury cost…..

1. GDP – Economic Growth

GDP -> continuous economic growth (profit maximization) -> increase future income
Present: Economic stability and growth
Future: Increase future income (Trend of economic growth)
E.g. Investments on developing countries

2. Employment Rate (Job Opportunities)

In a society, all people should work in order to let all people enjoy a stable income. If
someone is willing to work but cannot work, he/she will suffer from no income
Present: Getting a job to meet present needs and earn money
Future: Future income increase, preparing for retirement, sustain workforce, no
unemployment
E.g. The government develop project to allow 100 unemployed low-skilled labour to work

3. Income Inequality – Distribution of Wealth

Better distribution of wealth -> solving the problem of income disparity -> relieving
intergenerational poverty -> achieving equity and fairness in the society -> everybody can
harmoniously survive in the future
Present: Solving the current income disparity
Future: Solving future intergenerational poverty (equalizing opportunities)
E.g. The government provides low-income family subsidies to the low-income group
 4. Aggregate Demand – Consumption Market
Increase the wealth of citizens -> citizens will accumulate wealth and tend to consume
more in the market -> improve citizens material quality of life -> increase market
transaction -> increase GDP (aggregate demand) -> economic activities going-on in the
future -> boost up the consumption market
Current: Increasing wealth and consumption of the citizens
Future: Continuous economic growth in the consumption market

5. Supply of resources
Stable supply of natural resources (do not exploit, extract too much natural resources) ->
cost of production remains stable -> supply becomes stable -> continuous to boost up
economic activities and maintain the economy
Current: Maintain and do not use too much natural resources
Future: Steady supply of natural resources
E.g. Generate less coal for energy to maintain coal natural resources

6. Government Expenditure and Reserves

Sustain economic growth -> the government reserves will increase -> sufficient tax
revenue towards the government -> government will have the resources to sustain the
growth of different industries
(Hong Kong government is famous for its high government reserves)
Current: Save money for the government reserves
Future: Use government reserves to sustain the growth of the economy when the
economy is turning bad (以防不時之需)

想 point methods: Econ – Macroeconomic Problems

1. GDP (Econ – Measurement of Economic Performance)

2. Unemployment (Econ – Macroeconomic Problems)
3. Income Disparity (Econ – Efficiency, equity and role of the government)
4. Aggregate Demand (Econ – ADAS Model)
5. Government Reserves (Econ – Money and banking)
6. Sustain trade (Econ – International trade and finance)
Social Sustainability

Social sustainability hopes to achieve social justice and equity. Become fair towards the
society such as poverty alleviation, improve social aspects of quality of life such as health
and education.

1. Social Stability
Create a social harmonious environment -> less unfairness towards the society ->
everybody in the society can live happily -> stable society -> future can be happy
Present: Creating a social harmonious environment
Future: Living in this fair and happy environment forever
E.g. For a country, military defence policies

2. Education Sustainability
Provide sustain education for students, teenagers and kids -> students can improve their
educational level, learn more stuff and contribute to the society, can also equalize
opportunity to get rid of intergenerational poverty -> education makes people have
knowledge and know words -> increase literacy rate -> jobs with better prospect ->
support the society in long run
Present: Provide more education
Future: Contribute more to the society and equalize opportunity to earn higher income
E.g. Extend the free education to 15 years

3. Public Health Sustainability

The medical sector provides medical support to people in need -> increase life expectancy
and ability to obtain more future income -> the public health of the whole society can be
enhanced -> the health environment is good -> people live more happily
Present: Provide sustain medical support to the citizens
Future: Improve the life expectancy and the public health of the whole society
E.g. A price ceiling on the public medical services
 4. Achieving Equality
Fairness in the society -> everybody feels fair and happy -> there are equal opportunities -
> people feel fairly treated -> the social atmosphere is fair -> productivity can be
sustained -> promote social sustainability
Current: Develop fairness policy (equalize opportunities)
Future: People feel fair and productivity can be sustained
E.g. The Fair Ordinances

5. Catering daily needs

Catering daily needs of different households -> households daily life can sustained ->
household material quality of life can be achieved -> physiological needs are attained
Current: Understand and cater different household daily needs
Future: Basic needs are achieved -> try to achieve other needs (under the maslow
hierarchy of needs)

6. Interpersonal Relationships
Neighbour relationship/interpersonal relationships are enhanced -> people become more
happy and spiritual quality of life is attained -> living in the happy environment -> less
conflicts -> promote sustain social growth
Current: Improve the relationship between one another (e.g. neighbour networking)
Future: Helping with each other to promote sustain social growth
E.g. Community Centre activities

7. Population Growth
A population growth might not be beneficial depending on the problem of ageing
population
Kids Low birth rate -> less kids -> less labour force in the future
Adult Adults will turn into elderly in the future
Elderly More elderly might not be good because their labour force and
productivity is low
Environmental Sustainability

Environmental protection and conservation has to be considered as the environment

directly affects the future. The consumption of natural resources should not exceed the
carrying capacity of the ecosystem, promoting green life

1. Eco-system and the environment

Protecting the eco-system and the environment -> the animals and species can live
peacefully with humans -> the life cycle of all animals can sustain -> non-interventionist
(不干預大自然的運作)
Current: Protect the eco-system
Future: Society and the environment can reach an equilibrium

2. Natural habitats and endangered species

Protecting the habitats and endangered species -> the endangered species can survive ->
they have high environmental values and promote sustain environmental growth and
habitat of the ecosystem
Current: Protecting the endangered species
Future: The endangered species can be survived
E.g. Policies to ban the hunting of endangered species

3. Food Chain
Food Chain Environmental Impacts
 If one animal species has been severely affected, then the upper level will have no food
eat and they will extinct. The below level has an excess of it so they will eat all the more
below one, no food and they will extinct as well -> damaging the whole food chain

4. Pollution, Emission and Waste Management

Better pollution control of emission and waste -> less waste is produced in the society ->
air quality and public health of the society could be enhanced
Current: Control the pollution, emission and better the waste management
Future: The public health and environment of the city can be enhanced

5. Resources Management
Resources including land-use should be used efficiently and protecting the environment
such that the future resources will not be exploited

6. Biodiversity
Biodiversity is very important because 生物多樣才能夠保持生態平衡
If biodiversity is being reduced, then the ecology will be damaged -> the resilience and
survival of ecology reduces -> damaging the food chain -> causing irreversible damage
(e.g. If the environment has both snake and eagle, then they can eat some mouse. But if
the environment has only snake, then the mouse amount will decrease less -> causing
imbalance of food chain)
For endangered species biodiversity -> it is irreversible as when the species is extinct, it
will never exist again

Environmental Conservation
• Usually environmental conservation will need to sacrifice economic and social
development -> then this is NOT sustainable as you are sacrificing the current needs
Relationship among different components of sustainable dvelopment
Economic X • Labour supply and population -> employment and business
Social environment -> social stability (If people are unemployed, it may
cause income inequality and social unrest)
• Income disparity and income distribution: The government policy
equalizes income and reduces the income gap -> things are
getting more fair -> society is happy and becomes more stable
• Economic prosperity and GDP returns to the society ->
distribution of wealth -> accumulated wealth increase material
quality of life of citizens due to GDP increase, aggregate demand
increase
Social X • Appropriate land use: balance between social needs (e.g.
Environmental housing, recreational land) and the environment (e.g. countryside
park) -> well urban planning is needed
• Protecting the environment -> controlling the pollution -> air
quality is enhanced -> people can breathe fresh air and visit the
nature (e.g. the countryside park)
Environmental • Development of eco-tourism: Through environmental
X Economic conservation, eco-tourism can be developed and earn from
tourism industry
• Better environment -> attract foreign direct investment (FDI)
from other countries which can boost economic development
• Using governmental reserves (money) to protect the
environment (e.g. developing renewable energy)

Ultimate Sustainable Development

A policy can at the same time sustain the economy, society and the environment (Most OP)
Factors affecting sustainable development
1. Technology
Technologies will positively or negatively influencing sustainable development
Positive Sustainable Development Negative Sustainable Development
Economic Economic Technologies through /
economic globalization can improve
productivity and GDP
Social Medical technologies, agricultural People rely too much on
technologies, transportation technology, some controversies on
technologies -> facilitating people’s medical technology
quality of life
Environmental Monitoring and renewable energy Environmental problems such as
technologies to reduce emission of the burning of fossil fuels
greenhouse gases

2. Life-style
Different people have different life-style. But there is a lifestyle concept (LS Hub Concept)
For everybody’s life style, it will be separated into 3 levels:
Influencing Level: People who want to

Influencing/ experience more and learn more and try to have

Experiencing Level new style to influence the people
(E.g. Green life style -> Environmental friendly) ->
reaching spiritual quality of life
Materialistic/Consumerism: People like luxuries
and they will buy a lot of luxuries and cosmetic
Materialistic Level
products -> but these cosmetic products might
not be useful and create a lot of wastes
Citizens have to meet their basic and

Basic Level physiological needs such as water, food, clothes,

housing, transportation
 Green-life Style: After understanding the material and luxurious life will create a lot of waste
and harming the environment, people will try to achieve spiritual quality of life by green and
sustainable consumption to reduce the environmental impacts
5R Lifestyle
Reduce Reduce purchases of products and wastes
Recycle Recycle recyclable products
Refuse Refuse to use products that harm the environment (e.g. plastic)
Replace Replace products which are good to the environment (E.g. using
biodegradable straws rather than plastic straws)
Reuse Reuse things, use it again to prevent wastage

3. Government Interventionist
Government sets up policy which might affect sustainable development.
If the government policy aims to protect the environment, it can increase the awareness of
the public towards protecting the environment

Individual Promoting sustainability through green life style and ecological

footprints. However some government policies affect individual
such as levy on solid waste which will increase people’s burden
Society The government provides financial resources to improve the
environment, economic and social sustainability

Spectrum of Sustainable Development

Conflicts between economic development VS environmental conservation
Usually, economic development and environmental conservation are in two sides conflicting
with each other, it is very difficult to achieve both aspects to sustainably develop

Environmental Social Economic

Sustainability Sustainability Sustainability
拆題 – Sustainable Development
扣題策略

Present Needs Future Needs

Meet the present needs Without sacrificing the future

SD 五部曲 (PCFFC) [必定要用]

Step 1: Explanation of the policy + Raise examples of the policy + Aspect
Step 2: Explain how it HELPS the CURRENT needs (Current benefits towards quality of life
of the citizens
Step 3: Explain how it DOES NOT sacrifice the FUTURE needs (How will it NOT/less affect
the future)
Step 4 (Bonus): Whether it will benefit/harm the FUTURE (the future situation)
Step 5: Conclusion: Whether it can achieve economic/social/environmental sustainability

For example: Evaluate the impacts of China’s coal to gas policy towards sustainable
development.
Wrong example: In terms of environmental sustainability, converting coal to gas can let the
society use more natural gas and pollute less pollutants such as carbon dioxide such that it
can promote environmental sustainability.

Correct example using SD 五部曲

Step 1: POLICY: China’s coal to gas policy aims to decrease the amount of coal (dirty non-
renewable energy generation) to natural gas (non-renewable but clean energy generation)
Step 2: CURRENT needs: Provide more cleaner energy sources towards Chinese citizens and
protecting the current environment due to too much carbon dioxide emission from coal
Step 3: FUTURE needs: Use less coal which can leave coal natural resources in the future
Step 4: FUTURE benefit: helping the environment to be cleaner so the future generations
can also survive in China
Step 5: Conclusion: The China’s coal to gas policy can enhance environmental sustainability.
Thinking points and aspect

Framework 1 – Using the Aspects

• Economic Aspect (Economic Sustainability)
• Social Aspect (Social Sustainability)
• Environmental Aspect (Environmental Sustainability)
• Cultural Aspect
• Political Aspect

Framework 2 – Using the Time Framework

• Current needs NOT sacrificed
• How does it affect the future

Framework 3 – Other
• Population Impact
• Amount of Resources (Natural resources, monetary resources, labour resources)

Ultimate Framework – Three Aspect Sustainability

• Sustainable development should reach all three aspects to sustain the development

Rebuttal Skills – Sustainable development

通常個 policy 都能夠達致兩方面的 sustainable development 但總有一方面不能夠達到全
面三個的 sustainable development
E.g. Economically and socially the policy is sustainable but only the environmental aspect is
not sustainable.
Rebuttal: Sustainable development is the integration of long-term development among ALL
three aspects of environment, economic and social. As the policy can fulfil the ____(other
two)____ aspects of needs and beneficial to the future generation, the comparative impacts
towards sustainable development is less as there are _____(two aspects)_____ being
sustainable already. Therefore the policy can achieve sustainable development.
技巧: 兩項已經 sustainable, 沒可能完全完美, 唯有選擇最好的
Sustainable Development Question Skills
When the question mentioned the key word “sustainable development”
E.g. Evaluate the impacts of _____policy_______ towards sustainable development of HK.
To what extent the _policy_ can reach the principles of sustainable development

Thinking points: It must surround the aspects of sustainable development

• Economic
• Social
• Environmental

When elaborating your points

Step 1: Explanation of the policy + Raise examples of the policy + Aspect
Step 2: Explain how it HELPS the CURRENT needs (Current benefits towards quality of life
of the citizens
Step 3: Explain how it DOES NOT sacrifice the FUTURE needs (How will it NOT/less affect
the future)
Step 4 (Bonus): Whether it will benefit/harm the FUTURE (the future situation)
Step 5: Conclusion: Whether it can achieve economic/social/environmental sustainability
必須緊扣現今和未來 -> Sustainable

Rebuttal: Sustainable development is the integration of long-term development among ALL

three aspects of environment, economic and social. As the policy can fulfil the ____(other
two)____ aspects of needs and beneficial to the future generation, the comparative impacts
towards sustainable development is less as there are _____(two aspects)_____ being
sustainable already. Therefore the policy can achieve sustainable development.

Paragraph 1 – Stance
Paragraph 2 – Aspect 1 – Aspect of Policy -> Sustainable Development
Paragraph 3 – Aspect 2 – Aspect of Policy -> Sustainable Development
Paragraph 4 – Counter Argument (Other aspect) + Rebuttal -> Sustainable development
Paragraph 5 – Concluding Paragraph
Question Bank: Paper 2 Thinking Exercises
Evaluate the impacts of the Paris Agreement towards the Sustainable Development of
China. (12 marks)
Impact Sustainable
Aspect 1 - Development
Aspect 2 - Affect (Using
China
Aspect 3 -
Features)
Aspect 4 -
Aspect 5 -

Evaluate the impacts of the levy of municipal solid waste towards the Sustainable
Development of Hong Kong. (12 marks)
Impact Sustainable
Aspect 1 - Development
Aspect 2 - Affect (Using
Aspect 3 - HK Features)

Aspect 4 -
Aspect 5 -

Explain the difficulties for tackling global climate change with respect to the principles of
sustainable development. (12 marks)
Difficulty Sustainable
Aspect 1 - Development
Aspect 2 - Affect (Using
global
Aspect 3 -
Features)
Aspect 4 -
Aspect 5 -