Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals

What the resources cover

The unit is built around one big idea: meeting present needs without harming future generations. The Note Sustainable development for the planet starts with the Brundtland report, and a separate Note on the Brundtland Report covers it too. Other resources look at the three pillars (environment, economy and society), definitions of sustainability, and how the term has changed over time.

Where to start

Begin with the Mind Map Sustainability. It lays out indicators and frameworks, including the constant capital approach and the triangular approach. A second Mind Map with the same title breaks sustainability into environment, economic and social strands, with ideas such as equal opportunity and environmental justice. Then move to Planetary boundaries, which explains safe operating limits and tipping points.

Going deeper

Once the basics are clear, choose a theme. Ecological Footprint and Reducing My Ecological Footprint look at personal and global impact. Food Sustainability and Humanity and Scarce Resources deal with food, water and resource depletion. Case-style maps include Solar Cookers-Kenya, Sustainable Housing Development and Sustainability: Fishing. Flashcard decks such as The circular economy and revised sustainable development goals suit quick recall. The GCSE Geography, AP Environmental Science, EPQ and GCSE Biology exams are all mentioned in the listed material.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map, cover it, then take a quiz. Try Labels test after the slides on eco-labels, or Week 3- Dimensions of Sustainability after the pillar maps. Wrong answers show you which map to reopen. Teachers can set a map as a starter and a quiz as a plenary.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Sustainability and Society strand of Environmental science and ecology. Open a resource that matches your topic, and make your own maps and flashcards to fill any gaps you spot.