SUS1501 Assignment 5 Complete Answers
Semester 2 2026 (100% Distinction Portfolio)
Q1: What is the primary goal of sustainable development?
A: B. Balance economic growth with environmental protection. Sustainable development
aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs .
Q2: What is the "Triple Bottom Line" approach to sustainability?
A: The Triple Bottom Line requires a balance between three pillars: Environmental
Integrity (protecting ecosystems and biodiversity), Social Equity (ensuring fairness,
human rights, and social justice), and Economic Viability (creating systems that provide
for human needs without depleting natural capital) .
Q3: What is a "greed-driven" approach to resource management?
A: Overexploiting natural resources for short-term gain. A greed-driven approach often
focuses on immediate profits without regard for long-term sustainability, leading to
depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation .
Q4: Which of the following is a renewable energy source?
A: B. Solar energy. Solar energy is derived from sunlight and can be harnessed to
generate electricity or heat, making it a renewable resource because it is abundant and
replenished naturally .
Q5: What is the concept of "carrying capacity"?
A: The maximum population size an environment can sustain. Carrying capacity refers to
the maximum number of individuals an environment can support without being
degraded .
Q6: What is a major cause of deforestation?
A: Agricultural expansion. Forests are cleared to make way for crops and livestock, which
contributes to habitat loss, biodiversity decline, and increased greenhouse gas
emissions .
Q7: What is the purpose of carbon credits?
A: To provide a market-based approach to reducing greenhouse gases. Carbon credits
are part of a cap-and-trade system that allows companies to buy and sell credits for
their carbon emissions .
,Q8: Which principle is NOT part of sustainable development?
A: Prioritizing short-term economic gains. Sustainable development emphasizes long-
term socioeconomic growth that balances environmental stewardship and social equity .
Q9: What does the term "circular economy" refer to?
A: An economic system aimed at eliminating waste through reuse and recycling. A
circular economy promotes sustainable resource use rather than the traditional "take-
make-waste" linear model .
Q10: What is the "Tragedy of the Commons"?
A: A concept explaining how individuals acting in their own self-interest (greed) can
deplete a shared resource, even when it is not in anyone's long-term interest to do so .
Q11: What does the Brundtland Report (1987) define as sustainable development?
A: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs .
Q12: What is an ecological footprint?
A: An ecological footprint measures the impact of human activity on the environment
by calculating the amount of natural resources consumed and waste produced. It
reflects whether human lifestyles are within the Earth's capacity to regenerate
resources .
Q13: What is the difference between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism?
A: Anthropocentrism views humans as the center of the universe, while ecocentrism
recognizes that humans are part of a larger, interconnected ecological system .
Q14: What is the concept of "Ubuntu" in the South African context?
A: Ubuntu is a philosophy that emphasizes interconnectedness and community, serving
as a counter-narrative to individualistic greed. It promotes the idea that "I am because
we are" .
Q15: What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
A: The UN's 17 SDGs are a framework for global cooperation to end poverty, protect the
planet, and ensure prosperity for all .
Q16: What is intergenerational equity?
A: Equality between different generations—ensuring that current actions do not
compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
, Q17: What is intragenerational equity?
A: Equality between people in the same generation—ensuring fair distribution of
resources and opportunities among all people living today.
Q18: What is the "growth paradigm" critique in SUS1501?
A: The module critiques the obsession with infinite economic growth on a planet with
finite resources, arguing that this model is unsustainable .
Q19: How does consumerism relate to sustainability?
A: Consumerism encourages excessive consumption, which leads to resource depletion,
waste, and environmental degradation .
Q20: What is the impact of climate change on sustainability?
A: Climate change results from greenhouse gas emissions from industrial activities,
leading to global warming, extreme weather events, and threats to ecosystems and
human communities .
Q21: What is resource scarcity?
A: The depletion of water, soil, and energy resources due to unsustainable extraction
methods, threatening future availability .
Q22: What role does governance play in sustainability?
A: Strong, transparent governance ensures that sustainability goals are prioritized and
corruption is minimized. Weak governance contributes to environmental
mismanagement .
Q23: How can renewable energy support sustainability goals?
A: Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower offer cleaner
alternatives to fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions, creating jobs, and improving
energy security .
Q24: What is the difference between "damnum emergens" and "lucrum cessans"?
A: These are not specific to SUS1501 but relate to law. The principle of sustainability and
greed examines how economic systems create winners and losers.
Q25: What is the significance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
A: The MDGs (2000) were 8 goals including eliminating extreme poverty, universal
education, gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health,
combating HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and global partnerships.
Q26: Why is gender equality important for sustainability?
A: Gender equality ensures that all members of society have equal opportunities to
Semester 2 2026 (100% Distinction Portfolio)
Q1: What is the primary goal of sustainable development?
A: B. Balance economic growth with environmental protection. Sustainable development
aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs .
Q2: What is the "Triple Bottom Line" approach to sustainability?
A: The Triple Bottom Line requires a balance between three pillars: Environmental
Integrity (protecting ecosystems and biodiversity), Social Equity (ensuring fairness,
human rights, and social justice), and Economic Viability (creating systems that provide
for human needs without depleting natural capital) .
Q3: What is a "greed-driven" approach to resource management?
A: Overexploiting natural resources for short-term gain. A greed-driven approach often
focuses on immediate profits without regard for long-term sustainability, leading to
depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation .
Q4: Which of the following is a renewable energy source?
A: B. Solar energy. Solar energy is derived from sunlight and can be harnessed to
generate electricity or heat, making it a renewable resource because it is abundant and
replenished naturally .
Q5: What is the concept of "carrying capacity"?
A: The maximum population size an environment can sustain. Carrying capacity refers to
the maximum number of individuals an environment can support without being
degraded .
Q6: What is a major cause of deforestation?
A: Agricultural expansion. Forests are cleared to make way for crops and livestock, which
contributes to habitat loss, biodiversity decline, and increased greenhouse gas
emissions .
Q7: What is the purpose of carbon credits?
A: To provide a market-based approach to reducing greenhouse gases. Carbon credits
are part of a cap-and-trade system that allows companies to buy and sell credits for
their carbon emissions .
,Q8: Which principle is NOT part of sustainable development?
A: Prioritizing short-term economic gains. Sustainable development emphasizes long-
term socioeconomic growth that balances environmental stewardship and social equity .
Q9: What does the term "circular economy" refer to?
A: An economic system aimed at eliminating waste through reuse and recycling. A
circular economy promotes sustainable resource use rather than the traditional "take-
make-waste" linear model .
Q10: What is the "Tragedy of the Commons"?
A: A concept explaining how individuals acting in their own self-interest (greed) can
deplete a shared resource, even when it is not in anyone's long-term interest to do so .
Q11: What does the Brundtland Report (1987) define as sustainable development?
A: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs .
Q12: What is an ecological footprint?
A: An ecological footprint measures the impact of human activity on the environment
by calculating the amount of natural resources consumed and waste produced. It
reflects whether human lifestyles are within the Earth's capacity to regenerate
resources .
Q13: What is the difference between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism?
A: Anthropocentrism views humans as the center of the universe, while ecocentrism
recognizes that humans are part of a larger, interconnected ecological system .
Q14: What is the concept of "Ubuntu" in the South African context?
A: Ubuntu is a philosophy that emphasizes interconnectedness and community, serving
as a counter-narrative to individualistic greed. It promotes the idea that "I am because
we are" .
Q15: What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
A: The UN's 17 SDGs are a framework for global cooperation to end poverty, protect the
planet, and ensure prosperity for all .
Q16: What is intergenerational equity?
A: Equality between different generations—ensuring that current actions do not
compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
, Q17: What is intragenerational equity?
A: Equality between people in the same generation—ensuring fair distribution of
resources and opportunities among all people living today.
Q18: What is the "growth paradigm" critique in SUS1501?
A: The module critiques the obsession with infinite economic growth on a planet with
finite resources, arguing that this model is unsustainable .
Q19: How does consumerism relate to sustainability?
A: Consumerism encourages excessive consumption, which leads to resource depletion,
waste, and environmental degradation .
Q20: What is the impact of climate change on sustainability?
A: Climate change results from greenhouse gas emissions from industrial activities,
leading to global warming, extreme weather events, and threats to ecosystems and
human communities .
Q21: What is resource scarcity?
A: The depletion of water, soil, and energy resources due to unsustainable extraction
methods, threatening future availability .
Q22: What role does governance play in sustainability?
A: Strong, transparent governance ensures that sustainability goals are prioritized and
corruption is minimized. Weak governance contributes to environmental
mismanagement .
Q23: How can renewable energy support sustainability goals?
A: Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower offer cleaner
alternatives to fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions, creating jobs, and improving
energy security .
Q24: What is the difference between "damnum emergens" and "lucrum cessans"?
A: These are not specific to SUS1501 but relate to law. The principle of sustainability and
greed examines how economic systems create winners and losers.
Q25: What is the significance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
A: The MDGs (2000) were 8 goals including eliminating extreme poverty, universal
education, gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health,
combating HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and global partnerships.
Q26: Why is gender equality important for sustainability?
A: Gender equality ensures that all members of society have equal opportunities to
