Sustainability has been a topic of heated debate for decades. People, officials, policy makers, educators all strive for sustainable future, though there are a few people who can really follow sustainable principles.
Notably, there are numerous sustainability principles and approaches which have been developed by different people. Though, none of the approaches has been chosen as the one to follow.
It is necessary to note that there are several sustainability metrics which can help chose the most appropriate approach. This, in its turn, can help people adopt the most efficient sustainability approach.
It is possible to illustrate evaluation of sustainability metrics by comparing and contrasting two widespread approaches. The Thring sufficiency concept and the Bellagio principles for sustainable development will be compared.
In the first place, it is necessary to note that the two approaches have a lot in common. For instance, the Thring sufficiency concept provides a particular scale of sustainable consumption (Tester et al., 2012).
Hence, sustainable consumption presupposes sufficient amount of product (food, energy, services, etc.) that ensures high quality of life without unnecessary excess which often leads to numerous issues.
Likewise, the Bellagio principles of sustainable development presuppose evaluation of possible negative as well as positive consequences of people’s activities (Tester et al., 2012).
These principles are close to the Thring sufficiency concept. More so, it is possible to state that the Bellagio principles can be implemented with the help of the concept developed by Thring.
Furthermore, according to both approaches responsibility should be shared among individuals and governments. Each individual as well as the government should follow the principles of sustainability, which is the key to success.
Apart from similarities, the two approaches also differ in many ways. One of the most significant differences is that the Bellagio principles are more comprehensive and detailed.
Thus, these principles can be seen as a plan to follow to achieve sustainability in all aspects of people’s lives (Tester et al., 2012). In contrast to the Bellagio principles, the Thring concept can be regarded as a specific way to identify sustainable practices in this or that sphere.
There is no description of possible ways to achieve sustainability in the sphere. To illustrate possible use of both approaches and their difference, it is possible to consider such issue as urban transportation.
According to the Thring concept, it is clear that urban transportation should suffice for all inhabitants of the area to access urban facilities.
When there is insufficient transportation, public transport will be overcrowded and lots of people will be unable to access certain destinations which can negatively affect the development of the area as qualified employees will be unable to access their working places.
On the other hand, too much transportation leads to increase in emissions and the necessity to build roads which is associated with additional (considerable) energy consumption. Thus, a possible solution is to provide sufficient public transportation which will make private vehicles unnecessary.
People will be able to use public transport to get to their working places. Admittedly, this is possible when the government as well as every individual can accept the sustainable approach. This solution can be applied if people focus on the good for all rather than on personal benefits.
When it comes to the Bellagio principles, the issues concerning urban transportation can be solved with the help of a comprehensive plan.
First, the city government will set clear goals, e.g. to develop sufficient urban transportation system. Then, the officials will implement holistic approach and make sure that all essential of the problems are included in the discussion.
For example, such aspects as availability of transport, environmental consequences, cost-effectiveness, etc. will be highlighted. The government will also assess the present state of the urban transportation system.
After that, the government will develop specific timelines for each stage of the plan, e.g. timelines for development of efficient routes, production and provision of vehicles, etc. According to the Bellagio principles for sustainable development, it is essential to assess implementation of the plan.
Thus, supervisors will assess the changes. For instance, the supervisors will trace the number of private vehicles, the number of people using public transport, the amount of emissions, the degree of satisfaction, etc. Besides, it is crucial to ensure openness of the assessment.
Therefore, people should be able to access reports on implementation of the plan. These can be online reports which are updated regularly. More so, there should be place for commentaries or different forms of feedback as people should be able to participate in the process as well.
This will contribute to effective communication. It is also necessary to note that communication should be transparent and plan developers as well as conductors should understand goals set, timelines developed and approaches which can be used.
It is also important to make sure that all groups of stakeholders involved can participate in the process of the plan development. Officials, employees, entrepreneurs, unemployed people should all take part in the discussion.
Finally, the government should be totally responsible for the implementation of the plan and encourage individuals to share their vision.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the two approaches mentioned above are effective when combined. Thus, the Bellagio principles for sustainable development can be the basis and the Thring sufficiency concept can be used at the stage of evaluation and assessment.
Reference List
Tester, J.W., Drake, E.M., Driscoll, M.J., Golay, M.W., & Peters, W.A. (2012). Sustainable energy: Choosing among options. Cambridge, MA: Mit Press.