240
the future have no major success among those in
power.)
Last but not least, the theory that society is
part of the environment of Earth and thus our life
depends directly on hindering the overloading
and degradation of nature should return throughout the entire education system. On the other
hand, a flexible and complex system like the society can only operate uninterruptedly if the elements of the system cooperate, accommodate to
each other and solve potential problems peacefully. The development of the global human consciousness may lead eventually to this.
Probably the above will take a long time as
numerous factors slow down the process. First of
all, the lack of a global education system based
on the principles described above is one of the
factors. If this education system or a better one
was created, the deeply rooted concepts of religion, tradition, family and humane relations in
the adult members of different nations, religious
or tribal communities would strongly block the
process. Children and youngsters are affected in
many ways apart from the above including the
opinion of friends, events in the immediate environment, deliberate propaganda of politicians,
first job experiences or the difficulties of job
seeking. In short, changing current concepts in
societies is not easy (surely this cannot be implemented by 2030) but still we have to rely on it,
otherwise only the series of tragedies will convince humanity of the inevitability of change.
6.3
SDG: Sustainable Economic
Growth. Possible?
Sustainable consumption and production are
included in sustainable development goals (SDG
12). Both shall be increased, so that their environmental effects are not increased or even decreased.
The implementation of the goal is made even
more difficult by an increasing population (see
Sect. 2.7). For the implementation of the SDG
several conditions have to be met among which
the authors consider technical-technological
development on the basis of scientific progress
the most decisive. Realising sustainable consumption and production would have a positive
effect on implementing other goals as well (e.g.,
SDGs 7, 8 and 9). It is widely debated, however,
that infinite growth could be realised in a finite
world. Unfortunately, the environmental systems
of Earth have already been overloaded by humanity as presented extensively in Chap. 4. Let’s see
below the processes in the society that give us
some hope!
Changes in technology are mostly aspired by
information technology (computers, communication devices, artificial intelligence), biotechnology and nanotechnology. As mentioned before,
these are often referred to as autocatalytic technologies as results in any of the fields catalyse the
development of the rest. This extreme change
both in quantity and quality could result in a
change of the quality of production and also in
the rapid transformation of the operation of the
entire human society. The degree of change is
comparable to that of the effects of the first (classic) industrial revolution and promises even more
significant results.
Currently it seems that the role of central governance will be reduced in the control of technologies
and the society. However, experience from history
suggests that dictators will hold fast to centralisation to the very end. The development of information technology will aid them as the possibility of
storing all important data of all members of the
society in a central database and making it available for a dictatorial governor is not fantasy any
more. (Of course, together with an expert panel, the
members of which process and interpret data.) At
the same time, the strengthening of local communities can be seen in many countries, and certain
ways of technical development also suggest the
future of decentralisation. Hess (2016), for example, states that the days of centrally controlled
energy supply systems are numbered due to the
expansion of local electricity producers using solar
energy more effectively anywhere. Society progresses towards digital- based infrastructure, and
this brings the reinterpretation of production procedures. Most promising future is seen by experts in
the development of nanotechnology. Doubtless, the
number of scientific publications also reflects the
rapid development of this field (Table 6.2).
6 Steps Towards Realising Global Sustainable Development
the future have no major success among those in
power.)
Last but not least, the theory that society is
part of the environment of Earth and thus our life
depends directly on hindering the overloading
and degradation of nature should return throughout the entire education system. On the other
hand, a flexible and complex system like the society can only operate uninterruptedly if the elements of the system cooperate, accommodate to
each other and solve potential problems peacefully. The development of the global human consciousness may lead eventually to this.
Probably the above will take a long time as
numerous factors slow down the process. First of
all, the lack of a global education system based
on the principles described above is one of the
factors. If this education system or a better one
was created, the deeply rooted concepts of religion, tradition, family and humane relations in
the adult members of different nations, religious
or tribal communities would strongly block the
process. Children and youngsters are affected in
many ways apart from the above including the
opinion of friends, events in the immediate environment, deliberate propaganda of politicians,
first job experiences or the difficulties of job
seeking. In short, changing current concepts in
societies is not easy (surely this cannot be implemented by 2030) but still we have to rely on it,
otherwise only the series of tragedies will convince humanity of the inevitability of change.
6.3
SDG: Sustainable Economic
Growth. Possible?
Sustainable consumption and production are
included in sustainable development goals (SDG
12). Both shall be increased, so that their environmental effects are not increased or even decreased.
The implementation of the goal is made even
more difficult by an increasing population (see
Sect. 2.7). For the implementation of the SDG
several conditions have to be met among which
the authors consider technical-technological
development on the basis of scientific progress
the most decisive. Realising sustainable consumption and production would have a positive
effect on implementing other goals as well (e.g.,
SDGs 7, 8 and 9). It is widely debated, however,
that infinite growth could be realised in a finite
world. Unfortunately, the environmental systems
of Earth have already been overloaded by humanity as presented extensively in Chap. 4. Let’s see
below the processes in the society that give us
some hope!
Changes in technology are mostly aspired by
information technology (computers, communication devices, artificial intelligence), biotechnology and nanotechnology. As mentioned before,
these are often referred to as autocatalytic technologies as results in any of the fields catalyse the
development of the rest. This extreme change
both in quantity and quality could result in a
change of the quality of production and also in
the rapid transformation of the operation of the
entire human society. The degree of change is
comparable to that of the effects of the first (classic) industrial revolution and promises even more
significant results.
Currently it seems that the role of central governance will be reduced in the control of technologies
and the society. However, experience from history
suggests that dictators will hold fast to centralisation to the very end. The development of information technology will aid them as the possibility of
storing all important data of all members of the
society in a central database and making it available for a dictatorial governor is not fantasy any
more. (Of course, together with an expert panel, the
members of which process and interpret data.) At
the same time, the strengthening of local communities can be seen in many countries, and certain
ways of technical development also suggest the
future of decentralisation. Hess (2016), for example, states that the days of centrally controlled
energy supply systems are numbered due to the
expansion of local electricity producers using solar
energy more effectively anywhere. Society progresses towards digital- based infrastructure, and
this brings the reinterpretation of production procedures. Most promising future is seen by experts in
the development of nanotechnology. Doubtless, the
number of scientific publications also reflects the
rapid development of this field (Table 6.2).
6 Steps Towards Realising Global Sustainable Development