Government's Role in Sustainability - Week 3 Entry 1


The idea of sustainability is to achieve present needs without affecting that of the future. However, we as people are generally ‘selfish’. Progressing into a sustainable world is not possible when individual needs, both as a person, and as corporations where environmentally damaging activities are financially rewarded, are placed above the needs of the planet. This absence of consideration in people would eventually turn our planet into an inhabitable one.
How then should we combat this dilemma we’re facing? Advocating the importance of sustainability is an important step, but advocacy in my opinion, would not work, without a stricter management of the people. This is where the government has to come into play. Expecting people to change without any guiding policies will not work as individual gains would again be placed over the moral need of saving the planet. A need for recycling, saving of resources and reducing greenhouse gas emission has to be micromanaged by the government carefully, with significant repercussions such as fines and correction work for those who fail to comply. Though policies are in place for certain countries, the lack of progression towards a sustainable world after two decades of initiatives shows that advocation and lenient policies are not working. There should also be a more stringent management of each of the policies to ensure that everyone is complying and contributing. This means a bigger amount of manpower would be required and in turn, a bigger allocation of capital has to be allocated into its sustainability policies. These do not apply solely on individuals. The government should maintain similar stringent policies on corporations to ensure that they play their part. Whether it being financial incentives for more environmentally friendly approaches to business, or a strict ban on environmentally damaging activities, a proper management of these policies will have to be in place to ensure the corporations compliance. Though these methods might be considered extreme and might affect its citizens happiness, it is a drastic step that would ensure in everyone’s contribution.
With a slow progress towards a sustainable world despite the amount of initiatives springing up over the past two decades, it is critical to evaluate the role of the government in managing its policies instead of rolling them out with a lack of planning.

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