In this reflectary, you will find key terms on sustainable development, climate change and anthropocentrism.
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Superfires (Superincendios) The word superfires is a new concept that emerged from environmentalist organizations to refer to a new type of massive forest fires. They occur in the context of climate change, desertification, extended heat waves, extended droughts and low humidity, rural depopulation, abandoned land, lack of or deficient forest management, and a human culture of fire, among others. The accumulation of these
Sustainability (Sostenibilidad) According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sustainability is a dynamic process that equitably ensures the persistence of natural and human systems (IPCC, 2014). Sustainability is often used to describe actions, products, or services. For example, sustainable cars. However, experts consulted for the development of this reflectary highlight the excessive use of this word. The word sustainability refers to global
Sustainable development (Desarrollo sostenible ) According to the report titled Our Common Future, published in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development is understood as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. This term gained greater importance in the creation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Sustainable Development Goals, SDG (Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, ODS) The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a set of global goals established to protect the planet, eradicate poverty and inequality, and ensure a sustainable future for humanity. They are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, resulting from a long participatory process. The Agenda was adopted on 25 September 2015
Sustainable growth (Crecimiento sostenible) Sustainable growth can be understood as the type of development that combines economic expansion and environmental responsibility (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2008). However, this term raises a debate between the first approach, that gives greater relevance to economic growth, and a second notion that, instead, prioritizes ecological sustainability The European Commission’s Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy
Systemic crisis (Crisis sistémica ) The term systemic crisis was coined to strengthen the connection between the different existing crisis and emphasize the idea that all spheres of life are in danger due to the deterioration of nature, which has an anthropocentric origin. There is no agreed upon definition. However, the term is increasingly used especially in the academic sphere and in civil society organizations.
Vulnerability (Vulnerabilidad) The Oxford Dictionary defines vulnerability as ‘the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally’. A vulnerable person or entity can be physically or morally harmed or injured. For the American Red Cross, vulnerability is ‘the degree to which a population, individual or organization is unable to anticipate,
Waste (Residuo) According to the European Parliament, waste means ‘any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard’ (Directive 2008/98/EC). Este término se usa más en España, mientras que en América Latina está más extendido el uso de la palabra basura. However, they should not be used as synonyms. Waste refers to something that is disposed,
Water footprint (Huella hídrica) The water footprint measures the total volume of fresh water needed to produce the goods and services that a person, company, or country consumes. The importance of this indicator lies in that it calculates the amount of fresh water that humans directly and indirectly appropriate for their own activities, which alters the cycle of water in
