11 R1.T2 – Module 1: Climate Change and Sustainable Development Social sustainability refers to the societal actions taken to guarantee a community’s well-being and endurance. This type of sustainability is about identifying and managing impacts, both positive and negative, on people. There are four core principles of social sustainability: Ø equality and diversity, Ø quality of life, Ø social cohesion, and Ø democracy & governance (Barron & Gauntlett, 2002). Social issues like combatting poverty or increasing mental health supports are very important sustainable development issues because the ultimate goal of the SDGs is to combine high well-being with environmental sustainability. There actions are more important than ever with the increase of extreme weather and the impact of COVID-19, which have both had a terrible impact on inequality and human health. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, drought, flooding, and heatwaves directly affect the health of millions of people worldwide. Climate change also increases food and water insecurity and contributes to the spread of animal diseases to humans (Hinton, 2021). What about Youth activism and social goals? As we learned earlier, the mental health of young people has been disproportionately affected by climate change and the lack of action. This is one unseen consequence of a lack of climate action – young people are suffering physically and mentally the effects of climate change. This is one of the most important reasons why social activism is the most common form of activism amongst young people. Campaigning for important social issues such as better mental health facilities, rights, and equality, are very popular amongst young people as these are issues that are relevant to them. Youth activism in areas such as climate change, mental health and equal rights have used technology such as social media and ‘vlogging’. This allows young people to reach a further audience to promote their message. “Tips” Promoting social sustainability often can seem a daunting task, however, here are some simple actions you can take to increase and promote social sustainability in your area! ü Join local activism groups that support social issues o Find groups in your community or country that promote the impact that climate change has on social issues such as health, well-being, and poverty. Figure 7 - Photo by Logan Weaver (2022), source: Unsplash
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