About Lesson
Lesson Overview
This Lesson is designed to help you understand the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, Social, and economic—and how they are linked to the Five Ps of the 2030 Agenda: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. You will also learn about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) associated with each pillar and the human rights linked to each of the Five Ps.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this Lesson, you should be able to:
- Explain the three pillars of sustainability and their significance.
- Describe the connection between the pillars and the Five Ps.
- Identify the SDGs and rights associated with each of the Five Ps.
Content Summary
- Introduction to Sustainability and the Five Ps
- Sustainability: Refers to balancing current and future generations’ environmental, social, and economic needs. It ensures that development meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- Five Ps: The Five Ps—People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership—provide a holistic framework that guides the SDGs. Each “P” addresses specific aspects of sustainable development and is associated with particular SDGs and human rights.
Three Pillars of Sustainability
- PEOPLE (SDGs 1-5 and Associated Human Rights)
- Importance: The “People“ pillar focuses on ending poverty, reducing inequality, and ensuring all individuals can live with dignity and access essential services. It emphasizes the need to eliminate discrimination and promote human rights for all.
- Associated SDGs:
- SDG 1: No Poverty – Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere.
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Ending hunger and ensuring access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.
- SDG 4: Quality Education – Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality – Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
- Link to the Five Ps:
- People: Focuses on human rights and equality, ensuring that every person has the opportunity to thrive.
- Associated Rights:
- Right to Life and Security: Fundamental rights ensure that every person has the right to life, liberty, and personal security.
- Right to Food: The right to adequate food and freedom from hunger (SDG 2).
- Right to Health: The right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (SDG 3).
- Right to Education: Access to quality education without discrimination (SDG 4).
- Right to Equality and Non-Discrimination: The right to be free from discrimination, including gender-based discrimination (SDG 5).
- PLANET (SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14, 15 and Associated Human Rights)
- Importance: The “Planet“ pillar emphasizes protecting the Earth’s natural resources and ecosystems. It focuses on combating climate change, promoting sustainable consumption and production, and ensuring the responsible use of natural resources.
- Associated SDGs:
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- SDG 13: Climate Action – Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- SDG 14: Life Below Water – Conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources.
- SDG 15: Life on Land – Protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, managing forests sustainably, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss.
- Link to the Five Ps:
- Planet: Focuses on protecting the environment and ensuring that the planet’s natural resources are preserved for future generations.
- Associated Rights:
- Right to a Healthy Environment: The right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment (related to SDGs 6, 13, 14, 15).
- Right to Water and Sanitation: The right to safe, clean, accessible, and affordable water and sanitation (SDG 6).
- Right to Benefit from Natural Resources: Ensures that people have the right to benefit from natural resources while maintaining their sustainability (SDG 12)
- PROSPERITY (SDGs 8, 9, 10, 11 and Associated Human Rights)
- Importance: The “Prosperity“ pillar ensures that everyone can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives. It emphasizes economic growth, decent work, innovation, and reducing inequality within and among countries.
- Associated SDGs:
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Promoting sustained, inclusive, sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Reducing inequality within and among countries.
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
- Link to the Five Ps:
- Prosperity: Focuses on creating economic opportunities and ensuring that these opportunities are shared equitably among all people.
- Associated Rights:
- Right to Work: The right to gainful employment under just and favourable conditions (SDG 8).
- Right to Economic Opportunity: Ensuring that all people have access to economic opportunities to improve their livelihoods (SDGs 8, 9, 10).
- Right to Adequate Housing: The right to safe and affordable housing is integral to creating sustainable communities (SDG 11).
- Right to Equal Opportunity: The right to equality before the law and equal access to opportunities without discrimination (SDG 10).
- PEACE (SDG 16 and Associated Human Rights)
- Importance: The “Peace“ pillar emphasizes fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. It focuses on promoting justice, reducing violence, combating corruption, and ensuring that governance structures are inclusive and accountable.
- Associated SDG:
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
- Link to the Five Ps:
- Peace: Focuses on promoting justice and the rule of law, ensuring that all people can live in a peaceful and just society.
- Associated Rights:
- Right to Justice: The right to access justice and the protection of the law (SDG 16).
- Right to Participation: Ensuring that all people have the right to participate in public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives (SDG 16).
- Right to Freedom from Violence: The right to live in safety and be protected from all forms of violence, including domestic violence (SDG 16).
- Right to Good Governance: The right to be governed by institutions that are transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the people (SDG 16).
- PARTNERSHIP (SDG 17 and Associated Human Rights)
- Importance: The “Partnership“ pillar emphasizes the need for global cooperation and partnerships to achieve sustainable development. It focuses on enhancing the means of implementation, including financial resources, technology, and capacity-building, to support the achievement of the SDGs.
- Associated SDG:
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.
- Link to the Five Ps:
- Partnership: Focuses on the importance of global collaboration and partnerships to achieve the SDGs.
- Associated Rights:
- Right to Development: The right to a development process that improves the well-being of all individuals and peoples, requiring the cooperation of states and institutions (SDG 17).
- Right to Benefit from International Cooperation: The right to benefit from international support in finance, technology, and capacity-building (SDG 17).
Key Takeaways
- Three Pillars: Environmental, Social, and Economic sustainability are essential for balanced and sustainable development.
- Five Ps: Provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and achieving the SDGs, ensuring that sustainable development is inclusive, just, and equitable.
- Human Rights: The Five Ps align closely with fundamental human rights, emphasizing the importance of equity, justice, and cooperation in sustainable development.
Reflection Questions in terms of developing your project idea
- How do the three pillars of sustainability apply to your daily life or work?
- Which of the Five Ps resonates most with you, and why?
- How can you contribute to achieving the SDGs in your community?
Additional Resources
- Readings: Explore the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related human rights documents.Sustainable development through human rights
- The European Parliament and SDGs
- Videos: Watch recommended videos on the pillars of sustainability and the SDGs.
- Activities: Discuss and exercise to deepen your understanding of sustainability concepts.
Conclusion
This guide is intended to support your learning journey through the complex but crucial topics of sustainability and the SDGs.
Consider how this may contribute to your developing a project.