Macrotrend Sustainability Quiz

Macrotrend Sustainability

• Sustainability is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs
• It balances economic, social, and environmental protection
• A correct approach to sustainability involves addressing opposing threats of ideology and negationism.
• Climate change will cost Italy 10 billion euros annually in damages, largely affecting the tourism industry
• The tourism industry is significantly impacted by climate change, with a 15% decrease in international arrivals predicted with a 2-degree temperature increase
• Air quality in European cities varies, with cities like Nowy Sacz (Poland) having higher particulate matter levels than regions like Verona (Italy)

Global Risk Landscape (WEF)

• A global risk is an uncertain event or condition that could significantly negatively impact several countries or industries within the next 10 years
• 1,200 experts and decision-makers in the World Economic Forum's multistakeholder communities responded to this year's Global Risks Perception Survey
• The survey respondents represent business, finance, academia, civil society, and the public sector; their expertise spans different areas, geographies, and age groups.
• Climate action failure is a significant global risk with high impact and likelihood

Sustainability

• Sustainability is a complex and multi-faceted concept involving interconnected aspects like education, energy, trends, changes, urban security, social, indigenous disasters, and environmental protection
• Sustainability also involves climate risk assessment, technology, ecological models, water, consumption, population, economic, health, and food considerations

The Chernobyl Disaster

• The Chernobyl nuclear disaster, in 1986, was the worst nuclear accident in history, ranked 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale
• This severe event caused significant social and environmental damage
• Other similar large-scale disasters have occurred, such as Seveso, Bhopal, and others

Pollution, Demographic Trends, Affluent Lifestyles

• These factors shape our current understanding of sustainability as there's growing awareness as a result of their intertwined effects
• Pollution, demographic changes, and affluent lifestyles have impacted awareness of sustainability

Sustainability in Business

• Sustainable companies are more likely to be competitive over the long-term,
• Comply with regulations to avoid legal issues and incidents
• Transparency, and communication are useful for competitiveness

Sustainable Development Definition (Brundtland Report)

• Sustainable development is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Problems with Broad Definitions

• Defining "needs" across time and space
• Assessing and understanding how "compromising" today might translate to tomorrow's consequences

Measuring Impact

• Humans use resources as if we lived on 1.75 Earths

Ecological Footprint

• The ecological footprint measures the land and water area a population uses to provide necessary resources
• This contrasts with biocapacity which accounts for the Earth's ability to regenerate these resources
• Differences in biocapacity and ecological footprint across countries and regions can expose vulnerabilities

EU Energy Goals (2020)

• EU 2020 energy goals included a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions from 1990 levels
• Increased energy efficiency, renewable energy use and energy consumption reductions were targets

Next Generation EU (NGEU)

• The NGEU program marked a shift for the EU, with over 750 billion euros in resources deployed towards growth, investments, and reforms.
• Grants composed the majority of the NGEU funding with over 390 billion.

Sustainable Development Goals

• The UN's 2030 Agenda outlines seventeen Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets that work toward poverty eradication, planetary protection, and prosperity.

Test your knowledge on sustainability and its impact on the environment and economy. This quiz covers key concepts related to sustainable development, climate change effects, and the global risk landscape. Understand how these factors influence industries like tourism and air quality across cities.