Sustainable development is a term that advocates for the creation of a balance between human economic development and environmental protection as well as between past, present, and future needs (Klarin, 2018) . Sustainable development encompasses the integration of social, environmental, and economic approaches to development. Over the past 30 decades, the development of humanity has immensely contributed to unfavorable climate changes and natural disasters in addition to socioeconomic and political instabilities (Klarin, 2018) . Through their actions, humans have and continue to impact the environment negatively, thus endangering the survival of Earth’s life forms and future generations. Urban centers are critical connections of the relationship between the environment and human beings, and they are in demand for extensive services in the ecosystem and largely contribute to environmental impacts (Arora, 2018) . In addition, industrialization and modern agricultural practices have led to the pollution of air, water, and soil resources across the globe (O’Riordan et al., 2020) . Other factors such as the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases and the impacts of global warming demand a change in human behavior, that advocates for rational and efficient management of all resources that will reduce environmental impacts and allow less pressure on the already existing life forms (O’Riordan et al., 2020) . Environmental sustainability is a concept that advocates for meeting the needs and aspirations of the present by global countries without compromising the ability to meet the needs of the future. Since the onset of the industrial revolution in the 1850s, manufacturing, and the burning of fossil fuels increased the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Klarin, 2018) . Deforestation and the burning of oil and gas have increased the quantity of carbon dioxide in the air, which has resulted in more heat being retained (Arora, 2018) . The outcomes of climate change on the environment are devastating and thus prompt the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is vital to slow down global climate change (Arora, 2018) . Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also lead to a decline in air pollution, and as a result, it is estimated that more than 2 million lives will be saved (Klarin, 2018) . According to a study conducted by UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the reduction in greenhouse emissions will help alleviate 1.5 million premature deaths that are contributed by air pollution globally by year in 2030, 1.3 million in 2050, and 2.2 million in 2100 (O’Riordan et al., 2020) . Irrespective of an individual’s view on sustainability, such as the three-legged table approach, which consists of the society, the economy, and the environment, or as a dualistic relationship between humans and the environment (Harry & Morad, 2013) . However, it should be agreed that environmental sustainability must incorporate the provision of clean water, clean air, and productive land which is vital and foundational to a socioeconomic system (Arora, 2018) . A sustainable society cannot be achieved without the resources provided by a productive environment. Also, a sustainable economy is dependent on a sustainable flow of environmental resources, and without it, economic systems would crumble (Harry & Morad, 2013) . Countries from across the globe should advocate for sustainable development, which in turn will provide solutions to meeting human needs, achieving equality, maintaining ecological integrity, and fostering environmental development and protection. According to a report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, states need to implement policies that can help them meet their greenhouse gas emission goals, in addition to building energy-efficient buildings, appliances, and heat systems (Lenschow et al., 2015) . If these policies are to be adopted, in the year 2030 they could: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 100 million tons (Lenschow et al., 2015), save more than 100 million megawatt-hours of electricity by 2030 and avoid about $50 billion in energy costs (Lenschow et al., 2015) and lastly, support about 800,000 jobs and create more than 8.5 million jobs (Lenschow et al., 2015). This should be the right path taken by global communities, students, and the economy.
References
Arora, N. (2018). Environmental Sustainability—necessary for survival. Environmental Sustainability , 1 (1), 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-018-0013-3
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Harry, S., & Morad, M. (2013). Sustainable development and climate change: Beyond mitigation and adaptation. Local Economy: The Journal of The Local Economy Policy Unit , 28 (4), 358-368. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269094213476663
Klarin, T. (2018). The Concept of Sustainable Development: From its Beginning to the Contemporary Issues. Zagreb International Review of Economics and Business , 21 (1), 67-94. https://doi.org/10.2478/zireb-2018-0005
Lenschow, A., Newig, J., & Challies, E. (2015). Globalization’s limits to the environmental state? Integrating telecoupling into global environmental governance. Environmental Politics , 25 (1), 136-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2015.1074384O
Riordan, T., Jacobs, G., Ramanathan, J., & Bina, O. (2020). Investigating the Future Role of Higher Education in Creating Sustainability Transitions. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development , 62 (4), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00139157.2020.1764278
