What makes up sustainability?

As we move away from fossil fuels and try to reduce our greenhouse and carbon emissions, the biggest buzz word we hear is sustainability. By definition, this means ‘avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.’

So moving away from burning oil created by dead dinosaurs, and moving towards powering our planet with emission-free, limitless power from the sun, is a big step forward towards sustainability. But what are the other measures we need to address to achieve a truly sustainable future for our planet?

Economic development

It doesn’t matter how much science you present that shows that renewable energy sources like wind, solar and others are better for the planet. There is always going to be opposition unless you can prove that it is also economically viable.

There are arguments made at a political level that jobs will be lost by transitioning away from fossil fuels as it would impact the mining industry in a major way. Fortunately, renewable energy sources are not only coming down in price in a major way, but there is concrete evidence that jobs will not be impacted.

Let’s start with the price – Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s research shows that renewable energy is now cheaper than all new-build coal and gas power stations. Solar prices have plummeted by 82 per cent since 2010, while wind power is the most economical way of producing energy at $80/MWh in Australian dollars, compared to $143/MWh from coal and $116/MWh from gas.

When it comes to jobs, the myth that solar and wind power plants are killing jobs is not correct. Firstly, coal mining jobs have been plummeting without the help of renewables due to increased automation at mining sites. Secondly, University of Technology Sydney research has shown that 25,000 people were employed across renewable energy supply chains in 2019, and that could extend to 46,000 people by 2035 depending on renewable energy policy.

Social development

You can’t just abandon one industry and replace it with another overnight. It has to be embraced by the will of the people, and it also has to be proven to be safe.

Renewable energy has come along in leaps and bounds in these regards, as it is a clean and green form of energy that also delivers energy savings to households and businesses. Awareness is at an all-time high, and has been rising ever since nearly 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Personal responsibility

A huge part of sustainability is not just installing more solar panels and wind turbines, but educating people and changing our behaviour as a population.

We need to be embracing the three Rs – reducing our impact on the environment in the form of waste and emissions, recycling where possible, and reusing items like water bottles and coffee cups instead of using single-use items.

Through a combination of strong policy, renewable energy projects and the adoption of new behaviours by use as the human race, we can achieve a sustainable future.

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