Benefits of Sustainability in Singapore

There are many diverse benefits of Sustainability. This is all the more so in Singapore, a tiny island nation with extremely limited natural resources.

Why is Sustainability so important not just in Singapore, but the world?

Sustainability maintains the health and biocapacity of the environment, which in turn supports the well-being of individuals and communities. Sustainability also promotes a better economy where there is little waste and pollution, fewer emissions, more jobs, and a better distribution of wealth overall.

It is important to consider where individuals and society derive their well-being from. Many Singaporeans may regard the health of the economy as most important, and that individual and social well-being derives from it. This mentality can be credited to the country's status as one of the richest, but also most expensive places to live in the world.

However, that stance on the economy is only partially accurate. Whilst the economy exists to support the well-being of society, it is still only a subordinate component of society as a whole. The economy is in fact, entirely dependent on natural resources to sustain it, as well as the energy of people to drive it. Society is also a part of the environment and therefore is reliant on the well-being of the environment for life itself.

So we can safely say that the priority of Sustainability is Planet First, People Second, Production Third.

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental well-being is crucial to human well-being because that’s where all our physical resources come from. However, each year, we deplete resources and humanity uses over 1.5 times the biocapacity of the earth. Biocapacity is the amount of renewable resources produced by the earth that can be used by humans.

It is only possible to use more resources than are supplied by diminishing and degrading the environment. Consequently, humans continually reduce the ability of the environment to provide the resources we will need in the future. Therefore, it is important to pratice environment sustainability, so that the environment can thrive and continue to sustain life for as long as possible.

Social & Individual Well-being

Sustainability supports individuals in many ways. The benefits of simple living are many. Instead of the produce-and-consume way of life, people are able to focus more on the things that really support well-being such as relationships, self-improvement and meaningful pursuits. Also, sustainability tends to promote healthier living.

Society as a whole also benefits. If individuals are well it will help make a healthier society overall, and vice-versa. Sustainable practices include sharing, giving and supporting each other to achieve a higher level of social well-being in our communities.

A Sustainable Economy

Sustainable development is about improving the quality of the economy, not the size of it. The fact is we need a better economy, not a bigger one. Sustainable practices will make the economy better through reduced consumption overall and more equable distribution of wealth. People’s lives will made be richer through better quality products and services.

Sustainable economies encourage distributed, local production over centralised production. Local production has many environmental benefits over centralised, or even offshore, production including reduced emissions, pollution and waste. Localised, smaller-scale production has societal benefits of creating jobs and boosting local economies.

Sustainability encourages better design as well as less production. This means that products and services will be better quality, more durable and more useful. There will be less junk and less waste.

The Benefits of Sustainability

In conclusion, sustainabilism maintains the well-being of the environment so that it can support human well-being. If we are able to move forward and each adapt to a more Sustainable personal lifestyle, we definitely can Make The Change and create an impact in not just Singapore, but the world.