50
the planet and its natural resources” (UN 2015c). It also resolves “to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity
and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development
and capacities” (UN 2015c). The 2030 Agenda focuses on five key issues: (1) people, (2) planet, (3) prosperity, (4) peace, and (5) partnership (UN 2015c). A special
highlight of the document lies in understanding different interconnected systems
and how changes in one system can cause effects in others. There are several global
frameworks related to the 2020 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Paris
Agreement (UN 2015a), Sendai Framework (United Nation Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015), and New Urban Agenda. The implementation of the New Urban
Agenda contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and targets, including SDG 11, to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It further recognises that culture should be
taken into account during the promotion and implementation of new sustainable
consumption and production patterns that contribute to the responsible use of
resources and address the adverse impact of climate change (United Nations General
Assembly 2016).
In light of the complex nature of socio-environmental issues of the contemporary
world, the chapter focuses on selected societal issues to show their interconnectedness and consequences. In this chapter, we will elaborate on some of the most
important socio-environmental transformations of the twenty-first century that an
Environmental Citizen needs to know about and act upon. The chapter focuses in
particular on the processes of urbanisation, transportation, and tourism as important
social and societal factors of contemporary life. These can be seen as sources of
opportunities for sustainability but also as causes of serious socio-environmental
problems. Cities produce 70% of the GDP, which is a critical trend in contemporary
societies and transportation plays a vital role in human lives through regional organisation and the development (UN 2017). In this chapter, we explore how these issues
can be considered sustainability issues and how they present contexts within which
Environmental Citizenship is manifested. Deeper consequences are presented on
the example of the struggle for maintaining culture diversity and heritage, endangered by all of the previously mentioned processes.
To promote sustainable ways of dealing with the above-mentioned issues, the
promotion of Environmental Citizenship seems to be necessary. Environmental
Citizenship represents the responsible pro-environmental individual and collective
behaviour of citizens who act and participate in society as agents of change in the
private and public sphere, on a local, national, and global scale (ENEC 2018).
4.2 Cities, Landscapes, and Cultural Diversity
Nowadays, globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 55%
of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 2018 (UN 2018). It is expected
that between 2015 and 2030 there will be an additional 1.1 billion new city dwellers,
I. Šulc et al.
the planet and its natural resources” (UN 2015c). It also resolves “to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity
and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development
and capacities” (UN 2015c). The 2030 Agenda focuses on five key issues: (1) people, (2) planet, (3) prosperity, (4) peace, and (5) partnership (UN 2015c). A special
highlight of the document lies in understanding different interconnected systems
and how changes in one system can cause effects in others. There are several global
frameworks related to the 2020 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Paris
Agreement (UN 2015a), Sendai Framework (United Nation Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015), and New Urban Agenda. The implementation of the New Urban
Agenda contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and targets, including SDG 11, to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It further recognises that culture should be
taken into account during the promotion and implementation of new sustainable
consumption and production patterns that contribute to the responsible use of
resources and address the adverse impact of climate change (United Nations General
Assembly 2016).
In light of the complex nature of socio-environmental issues of the contemporary
world, the chapter focuses on selected societal issues to show their interconnectedness and consequences. In this chapter, we will elaborate on some of the most
important socio-environmental transformations of the twenty-first century that an
Environmental Citizen needs to know about and act upon. The chapter focuses in
particular on the processes of urbanisation, transportation, and tourism as important
social and societal factors of contemporary life. These can be seen as sources of
opportunities for sustainability but also as causes of serious socio-environmental
problems. Cities produce 70% of the GDP, which is a critical trend in contemporary
societies and transportation plays a vital role in human lives through regional organisation and the development (UN 2017). In this chapter, we explore how these issues
can be considered sustainability issues and how they present contexts within which
Environmental Citizenship is manifested. Deeper consequences are presented on
the example of the struggle for maintaining culture diversity and heritage, endangered by all of the previously mentioned processes.
To promote sustainable ways of dealing with the above-mentioned issues, the
promotion of Environmental Citizenship seems to be necessary. Environmental
Citizenship represents the responsible pro-environmental individual and collective
behaviour of citizens who act and participate in society as agents of change in the
private and public sphere, on a local, national, and global scale (ENEC 2018).
4.2 Cities, Landscapes, and Cultural Diversity
Nowadays, globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 55%
of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 2018 (UN 2018). It is expected
that between 2015 and 2030 there will be an additional 1.1 billion new city dwellers,
I. Šulc et al.