SUSTAINABILITYVS.

DEVELOPMENT

Sustainability
Vs.
Development

September 2015
COMMITED LEADERSHIP IN SUSTAINABILITY

Development or Sustainable
Development?
byProf.

RanjithDissanayake

urrounding me were huge

trees whose barks were

also a shade of green. Among

those high rise trees, there were
some tiny baby trees radiating the
pride of being the grandchildren of
their green warrior ancestors. As
all

these

trees

were

more

dominant, the animals, birds and

was often falling. It has been

the economic growth, better social

many years since; this experience

status and personal well-being.

along with the cool gentle breeze

There

welcomed me as the first thing in

development and environmental

the morning. When I stand in the

concerns contradict each other

same landscape now, all I can see

now.

is a horizon of huge buildings,

environmental

steel structures and a concrete

resource depletion, issues with

jungle. Gone were the trees, birds,

energy and environmental health

ponds and all the greeneries.

problems

are

monstrous

heads

bugs of all sorts barely kept my

This is what we have done in last

attention. Their humming gave the

few decades. We have sacrificed

perfect background music to the

the environment for the sake of

perfect

nature

development. What we basically

though. The grassy grounds were

aim through these destructive

wet with all the drizzling which

Developmental

movie

of

the

procedures

are

is no doubt that the

Since

Climate

change,

degradation,

raising
we

their
should

CHANGE to be GREEN!
We cannot solve our problems with
the same level of thinking that created
them Albert Einstein

SUSTAINABILITYVS. DEVELOPMENT |

Where

we

are

Headed Now?
We as humans have a tendency to
come up with very innovative
solutions to the likely innovative
problems which did not even exist
at first. We create our own

But the development cannot be

as much resources as the current

stopped. We should slow down

generation.

and

Why do we need sustainable

adopt

new

strategies

to

achieve the development, while

protecting

the

development?

natural

environment, because once the

As we live in a world, where the

nature becomes furious at us, we

resources

are all doomed!

population is rising, the rapidity of

are

scarce

and

depletion of resources is on the

problems and we try to find

The long term frugal investment

solutions to all these problems. It

for the economic development in

is the nature of our kind; the

fact

HUMAN BEINGS.

Development.

is

Sustainable

the

rise. The concept of sustainable

development tries to increase the
productivity of
minimize

the

resources

and

consumption of

The industrial revolution was the

nonrenewable

first biggest problem, we created

incorporating

ourselves. As a result now we

social and economic limitations.

have

been

gifted

with

new

not necessarily true. The scope of

Isaac Newton said For every

sustainable development is a far

action, there is an equal and

boarder

opposite reaction. This is true not

consequences

such

warming,

as

global

Acidification,

Eutrophication,

Ozone

layer

depletion, Resource depletion and

Loss

of

Biodiversity

and

Extinctions. It seems like, for the

sake of development, we have
constructed our own graveyard.

subject

than

the

environment. It also considers

only in physics, but also in our

inherited with a whole lot of bad

environmental,

all about environment. No. That is

social status and wealth. As Sir

merely explains why we are

while

Now you might wonder that this is

problems regardless of our age,

day-to-day lives as well, which

energy

First we will see what this

about creating a society which is

Sustainable Development means.

economically

In its simplest form, it means the

equipped, culturally accepted and

development that meets the needs

environmentally friendly.

of

without

This concept of development also

compromising the ability of future

promotes the savings through

generations to meet their own

adopting environmental friendly

needs.

sustainable

the

To

illustrated,

present

make
in

the

it

further

strong,

manners

socially

of

sustainable

development. For an example;

development, we aim to allow

think about you walking by foot to

future generations to have at least

the grocery than taking your car.

SUSTAINABILITYVS. DEVELOPMENT |

There is a cost associate with

fuel combustion is the largest

Construction

every mile you drive. But if you

source of CO2 emissions. We use

Development Authority (CIDA)

walk or ride a bicycle, it will save

fossil fuels in power industry,

accredited green organization have

your money and improve your

manufacturing,

developed a lot of tools and

health, while saving the cost

electricity, air conditioning and

practices,

associated with your hospital bills.

running our vehicles. This is just

sustainable development of our

In a way, you will be supporting to

one way of increasing the CO2

mother land!

reduce

congestion,

concentration in the environment.

which will in turn contribute to the

We do a lot more than that to

economy of the country. We can

increase the concentration of CO2

contribute

sustainable

and other Green House Gases in

development with such easy and

our environment. This affects

simple changes. What we need is

causing in undesirable climate

the attitude to do that.

changes and sometimes destructs

the

traffic

to

this

Some of you may think that the

sustainable development or the
economic development would not
affect you. Then you are wrong. It

generating

so affects us.

Carbon footprint of earth is rapidly growing. We

should take precautions to reduce the carbon
footprint.

Change!

world approaches development

contrary

goals

For

economic growth and sustainable

example, a myriad of observations

development are not antagonistic

suggest that the relentless CO2

concepts. They are more or less

emission to the environment cause

the

undesirable

development

changes.

to

common

same.
is

Sustainable

You cannot just leave

long

Remember that what goes around comes

back around.

cause severe damage to our built

heights of economic growth. It

environment.

the

might be difficult for you to

technology,

understand whether the practices,

people have found new ways of

which you use, are sustainable or

releasing CO2 to the environment

not on your own. So let us help

(though unintentionally). Fossil

you!

of

We

as

achieving

term

investment

development

for

belief,

These climate changes sometimes

With

the

Think before burn

Now you can understand that

climate

help

we say that it does not affect us? It

not. The way a country or the

everyone.

which

the dwellers as well. So how can

affects you; though you like it or

affects

Industry

the

Green Building

Council of Sri Lanka, the only

No to fossil fuels
A simple change can change a world!

SUSTAINABILITYVS. DEVELOPMENT |

What is Green Building

by which our environment thrives,

recognition,

Council

economy prospers and society

about 80 countries ranging from

grows

developed to developing nations.

of

Sri

Lanka

(GBCSL)
The aim of GBCSL is to transform
the

Sri

Lankan

the

future

World

represents

wellbeing of our motherland.

The

World GBC Affiliation

Council has provided us with an

important

Green

non-political

Building

global

building

The GBCSL is a member of

forum to discuss and promote the

fully adopt

World Green Building Council;

sustainable transformation of the

the

assure

global property industry.

with

green

practices

and

to
as

ensure

construction

industry

sustainability

to

which

means

the

international

COMMITTED LEADERSHIP IN SUSTAINABILITY!

Sustainability
Vs. Development

Green Building Council of Sri Lanka

Committed Leadership in Sustainability

WE ARE RECOGNIZED BY

WE ARE A MEMBER OF