Economic Scenario of Sustainability: Dimensions of Sustainability, Role of the Administration

He economic scenario of sustainability it is the process by which a balanced and harmonized economic development between man and the environment is achieved. It is based on the permanent search for human welfare, but taking into account the limitations established by the availability of natural resources.

There is a new economic, political and social scenario for life on the planet based on sustainability. In today's world the need to harmonize the objectives of the economy with the preservation of nature is recognized, so that the interests of production are aligned with the environment.

Sustainability starts from two premises or basic ideas. The first is the need to conserve existing resources so that they serve present and future generations. The second is the limitation imposed on the environment for the exploitation of its resources, considering the technology and the social organization of each society.

The constant search for greater production and consumption is dangerously reducing the limited supply of natural resources. The ability of ecosystems to absorb waste is also depleting. So, achieving another way of living on the planet is a necessity.

Fundamentals of sustainability

Sustainability is based on an ecological dimension that promotes the preservation of the natural resources necessary to guarantee energy and food security.

However, unlike the school of growth limits that emerged in the 1960s, sustainability takes production needs into account. That is, he agrees that economic production should increase as the population grows.

The concept of sustainability focuses on recognizing that there are certainly potentialities and limits in nature, in addition to the environmental complexity for the production of goods, which is inspired by a new way of understanding the challenges of humanity in the coming decades.

On the other hand, sustainability promotes a new way of focusing on the economy, science and technology, based on its values.

In this sense, it considers that a new alliance between nature and society should be established through a different political and economic culture based on the ethics of sustainability. It is, in a word, a new way of living and coexisting with the planet Earth.

Dimensions of sustainability

The concept of sustainability is very complex and has several dimensions that can be classified into:

Environmental or ecological sustainability

It is required that the proposed development be complementary and compatible with the preservation of the environment. It must respect the ecological balance, biological diversity and the rational exploitation of natural resources.

Social sustainability

It requires that the development model promotes the strengthening of the cultural identity of the communities. Its fundamental premises are the search for the demographic balance and the eradication of poverty.

Economic sustainability

Economic development must be equitable, efficient and with a long-term vision, thought for present and future generations.

Geographic sustainability

It must assess the territorial dimension of the different zones or environments in the sustainable development planning process.

Other dimensions

Other dimensions that development must take into account are cultural, political and educational sustainability, in order to ensure its maintenance over time.

Economic scenario

It is a referential model that serves to study the conditions in which the production of goods and services takes place. For its evaluation and study, the way in which economic factors (capital, land, labor, technology) intervene and interact in the productive process is taken into account.

The economic scenarios are proposed to analyze possible future situations regarding the progress of the economy of a country or the world. There are several types of economic scenarios:

- Reference scenario (based on premises from institutional sources).

- Optimistic scenario (considers beneficial premises for the company / country with high probability of occurrence).

- Pessimistic scenario (considers adverse premises for the company / country whose possibility of low occurrence).

Economic scenarios are studied in light of the rules of a particular production system: capitalist, socialist, collectivist, etc.

Sustainable economic scenario

When the economic scenario of sustainable development is discussed, reference is made to an ideal situation in which the productive process takes place. It is based on the sustainable dimension of economic growth and development in general.

The economic dimension or scenario of sustainable development seeks the achievement of maximum welfare of the population taking into consideration the limits imposed by the ecological process, because that is where sustainability lies.

The economy is the way in which goods and services are produced, distributed and consumed in an economic system. Its purpose is the satisfaction of human needs.

In an economy based on sustainability, not only does it matter how those human needs are met. It also tells the way in which economic factors interact with the environment.

That is, under what conditions the productive process is developed, how a community obtains food, water and housing, among other aspects. It is important to know how it produces and for what purpose it is done, and whether it is capable of self-sustaining or not.

Economic sustainability is only possible when a community or country can meet their needs without destroying their natural resources. It requires that the productive process be balanced and harmonized with the preservation of the environment.

Role of the administration in the new economic, political and social scenario

The administration plays a fundamental role in society. Through the administrative processes, the tools for the control and management of the available resources are provided. It allows planning the use of human, financial, technological resources, etc., in an economic or social organization.

In a society where resources (water, land, food, capital, among others) are distributed unequally, administration is vital. Sustainability can not be conceived without a new administrative approach to scarce resources.

The unequal distribution of resources is among the most urgent problems to be solved in order to achieve sustainable development. Mineral resources - for example, water, oil, coal - are not equally distributed on the planet, nor are fertile lands or seas and rivers, nor scientific-technological development.

So for some societies it is much more difficult to achieve that balance point between the achievement of social welfare and the exploitation of their resources. Thus, the role of the administration in the proposed new social, political and economic model is fundamental.

Equality must be promoted within a deeply unequal society. The new economic, political and social scenario must be inclusive and transparent, with administrative structures, both public and private, that are less permeable to corruption.

Institutions must be more flexible and efficient in order to improve the provision of services and the distribution of the goods produced.

References

1. Economic growth and sustainability - are they mutually exclusive? Consulted of elsevier.com
2. Sustainable development tec. Consulted of desarrollosustentabletec9.webnode.es
3. The Sustainable Economy. Consulted by hbr.org
4. Building a sustainable economy: the three critical steps. Consulted by theguardian.com
5. Economic Development and Sustainability. Consulted of futureofwork.nz
6. Sustainability, well-being, and economic growth. Consulted by humansandnature.org