Justainability

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Ethics
• Political Science

Background:

• The United Nations (UN) defines sustainability through 17 sustainable development goals, shifting it from a moral ideal to economy-based aspirations.
• The European Union's bioeconomy strategy exemplifies this shift, prioritizing economy over social and ecological concerns.
• This approach, prevalent since the 1987 Brundtland Commission report, neglects the voices of those advocating for deeper social and ecological equality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze the UN's definition of sustainability and its implications.
• To highlight the inadequacy of an economy-centric approach in decision-making concerning the environment and climate change.
• To introduce a new concept, 'justainability,' that incorporates noneconomic values into international decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of sustainability definitions and international policy.
• Explication of the current state of sustainability operationalization.
• Introduction and argumentation for a novel concept of 'justainability'.

Main Results:

• The UN's definition operationalizes sustainability as a set of economy-based goals, sidelining social and ecological considerations.
• Current decision-making processes fail to include all affected voices, particularly those advocating for greater equality.
• The proposed concept of 'justainability' offers a framework for integrating noneconomic values.

Conclusions:

• The prevailing UN definition of sustainability inadequately addresses social and ecological justice.
• A shift towards 'justainability' is necessary for inclusive and equitable international decision-making.
• Incorporating noneconomic values is crucial for a more just and sustainable future.