Disparity in the Access to Sustainability

In many regards, sustainability is a luxury, afforded only to those who have the time, money, education, and access to the resources needed to achieve it. This is not to say that sustainability should not be a universal goal, nor that there have not been succesful sustainability initiatives executed on low budgets in the past. However, the ease of achieving sustainable outcomes is not equal across different contexts and geographies. I believe this inequality can be broken down into a few key principles. 

Firstly, the primary cost in both time and money. Unfortunately, sustainable technologies are often not the most cost-effective options, nor the most time-efficient. Whether this might be the base cost of installing solar panels and sourcing more advanced materials, or the cost of spending longer during the design phase to ensure a more resolved sustainability solution, additional costs and delays are often unfavourable. Indeed, achieving a similar sustainability level in two different geographies will have completely different requirements, with potentially significant differences in costs depending on availability and location. Even in the cases where people are aware of, and are motivated to pursue sustainable design strategies, the additional costs and time may not make it practical. 

Secondly, improving design is not possible without knowledge of methods other than the status quo. For those without the education or knowledge of alternative, more sustainable options, their ability to lessen environmental impacts through design are severely limited. Especially if the sustainable design strategy requires specialist education, training or experience to detail or construct. The disparity in this knowledge, and the varying different levels of experience with different sustainable design strategies around the world no doubt create a situation where some have a considerably harder time engaging sustainable design. 

Thirdly, a cultural paradigm shift may be needed, to provide the public interest, and at times pressure, to place a focus on sustainable development. Environmental sustainability must be considered valuable, and designers/developers who spend the extra resources to pursue it must be recognised and rewarded for this. While financial incentives are one option, concerted public interest has a key role in casting the spotlight on these topics both in the industry, and at a government level. 

In conclusion, these three principles are only a few of the reasons access to sustainability is unequal. If the goal is to achieve as close to a fully sustainable urban environment as possible, this inequality must be addressed. The unfortunate reality is that the early pioneer projects of new sustainable technology and strategies will be the least cost-effective. But without them, these future technologies will never be able to develop to a point where they can be cost-effective and net-positive.