By Sampatrao D. Manjare, Vivek Rangarajan, Yogesh Jadhav

The concept of sustainability has evolved over the past several decades from a minor issue to a global priority. Climate change, environmental pollution, and the depletion of natural resources necessitate quick, innovative, and sustainable solutions. The key to achieving sustainability in different areas is adopting a synergistic/holistic approach that integrates social, economic, environmental, and technological solutions. Visionary goals should provide insights into how comprehensive approaches to sustainability can offer legislators, corporate executives, academicians, and the general public the opportunity to act by bringing about significant change in the manufacturing, transportation, energy, agriculture, healthcare and many more sectors.

The recent landslide in Kerala is a forbidding reminder of severe concerns about sustainable practices. The cumulative and compounded effects of human activities such as deforestation, unplanned urbanization, and unsustainable land use aggravated the impact of this disaster. The tragedy prompts the need for a holistic approach toward sustainability, one not limited to stand-alone issues. It demands a well-thought-out integration of sustainable land management, responsible urban planning, and community engagement to strengthen resilience against future disasters. 

Holistic sustainability looks at how various systems like social, economic, environmental, scientific, engineering, and technological relate to each other. It gives a sense of the sustainability challenges, which need to be resolved by solutions encompassing the whole rather than fragmentary solutions. For example, promoting renewable energy in the energy sector will reduce carbon emissions, create employment, secure energy, and stimulate technology innovation. Sustainable agriculture, such as organic and precision agriculture, would increase soil health and reduce water consumption, thereby ensuring food security. Agriculture sectors can adopt technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered drone-based fertilizing and pesticide systems etc. 

The energy sector is primarily dominated by fossil fuels, leading to high carbon emissions, air pollution, and depletion of non-renewable resources. The shift toward cleaner sources requires significant investments, technological innovation, and supportive policies. Holistic approaches should incorporate state-of-the-art technologies like artificial intelligence, green processes, and renewable energy. These will transform various sectors, improve efficiency, reduce waste, and lower environmental impact. With these holistic multidisciplinary approaches, the causes of unsustainability can be resolved, and resilient and adaptable systems can be built.

Manufacturing contributes immensely to environmental degradation. It produces water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, and harms human health.  These issues can be resolved through a holistic sustainability approach. The incorporation of renewable precursors, solvents, and bio-based additives and the adaptation of green technologies can help achieve sustainable goals. AI algorithms can optimize production, minimize energy use, and reduce waste in manufacturing. Predictive analytics can eliminate costly equipment failures and downtime.

Vehicle emissions contribute to air pollution and climate change. These can be addressed by cleaner and more efficient public transport and biofuel adoption. Challenges in the healthcare sector produce sustainability issues. High energy and water consumption, generation of hazardous medical/pharmaceutical wastes, raise sustainability issues. Telemedicine reduces the transportation-related emissions. Eco-friendly biodegradable implants, energy-saving devices, green medical gadgets should be adopted by the industry. 

Challenges can be addressed through frameworks like the Circular Economy and the United Nations SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). The Circular Economy questions the linear model of production and consumption and urges industries to reconsider their resource-use approach. In the packaging industry, sustainable packaging materials can be developed by using biomass-based precursors, green solvents, and fillers. 

Several actors are needed to achieve holistic sustainability. The government will define the regulatory regime, offer incentives like carbon credits, and subsidies for renewable energy, set policies to switch to cleaner technologies, and reduce industries’ environmental footprint. Public investments in green infrastructure, public transit systems, and renewable energy projects lead to a sustainable future.

The private sector plays a crucial role. Companies know the bottom line is not merely a moral imperative but a business opportunity. Implementing sustainability reduces costs, improves brand reputation, and unlocks new market opportunities.  Many companies have adopted sustainable value chains, sourced raw materials responsibly, and reduced carbon emissions. NGOs are essential to raise awareness and accountability of corporations. They are intermediaries between the public and private sectors, ensuring that sustainability efforts are inclusive and community-driven. Communities also play a vital role. Community efforts like urban gardens, recycling programs, and clean-up drives build a culture of sustainability.

While holistic approaches are important to adopt, sustaining them is equally important. Continuous measurement and assessment of sustainability initiatives is essential. Sectors should continually track progress, discover improvements, and make strategic changes. Metrics like carbon footprint, water usage, and waste generation provide insights into the effectiveness of sustainability practices and produce continuous improvement.

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Sustainability requires cooperation and knowledge sharing across sectors. By learning from each other’s successes and challenges, synergies are created. Cross-sector partnerships drive innovation through knowledge assembly in different areas to create new solutions. Different sectors come together through research collaborations, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships to realize sustainability goals. Less separation and greater communication among industries drive an integrated approach to sustainability benefiting everyone.

Sustainability issues across India

India faces unique challenges with respect to sustainability, geographically and socioeconomically. environmental concerns like deforestation, glacial melting, and frequent landslides mark the Himalayan region. The northwest suffers from air pollution emanating from vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, and crop stubble. Gujarat and Maharashtra bear the brunt of coastal erosion and industrial pollution and suffer acute water shortages. Better water management practices, such as wastewater recycling and desalination, will ease water stress.

Manufacturing clusters in Gujarat and Maharashtra must adopt circular economy principles by generating minimal waste, recycling materials, and migrating to cleaner production technologies. Eastern India faces cyclones and rising sea levels, causing flooding. Solutions include the restoration of mangrove forests, resilient infrastructure, and agroforestry. Southern India suffers landslides and water scarcity, prompting sustainable land-use practices involving restoration of natural vegetation, alongside investments in sustainable infrastructure. Central India faces deforestation, habitat loss, and mining pollution. Counterbalancing measures include sustainable mining, strict environmental regulations, and conservation by the community. Education and awareness empower residents and communities by promoting a sustainable lifestyle. Community-managed systems for water or traditional agriculture ensure sustainable and resilient communities.

Conclusive remarks

The journey of all-inclusive sustainability should be undertaken by individuals, enterprises, governments, communities, and so on. We can create resilient, adaptable, and sustained systems by adopting holistic approaches that lead to a greener future. Sustainability is not just about environmental protection; it’s about building a balanced ecological world with economic prosperity and social equity. As we face the challenges of the 21st century, let us commit to a path that balances what we do today and produces a legacy for a sustainable tomorrow. 

(The authors: Prof Sampatrao D Manjare, Prof. Vivek Rangarajan and Yogesh Jadhav are from the Department of Chemical Engineering, BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus. Views expressed are the authors’ own and not necessarily those of financialexpress.com.)