IB ESS SL 1.3.2 Three Pillars of Sustainability Questions

Sustainable [4 max]:
i. recycling of SDW will reduce $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ from decomposition, reducing EF;
ii. recycling of SDW will reduce space required for landfill, reducing EF;
iii. vertical farming increases biocapacity / repurposing brownfield sites/empty industrial buildings means land does not need to be cleared for agriculture (increasing sustainability)/increases productive land area;
iv. urban agriculture reduces importation of food which reduces carbon dioxide emissions from transportation;
v. no pesticides means a reduction in toxification of soil/water, increasing sustainability;
vi. bee-keeping helps protect/raise healthy bees which are needed for biodiversity of plants;
vii. reduction in water use for vertical farming increases sustainability;
viii. air pollution control measures will reduce negative impact on human health and vegetation;
ix. large amount of green space/habitat for biodiversity;
x. aiming to produce 15 % of energy from renewable, local sources, which increases sustainability/reduces EF;
xi. deer are managed to ensure environment remains healthy;
xii. money raised from selling deer meat goes to conservation increasing sustainability/protection of habitat;
xiii. there are over 8 million trees/ 47 % is classified as green space, providing oxygen/ acting as a carbon sink/trees clean air of pollutants, which increases sustainability;

Not sustainable [4 max]:
xiv. EF is larger than biocapacity, which means it is not sustainable;
xv. recycling requires energy and produces air pollution, which increases EF;
xvi. Iow recycling rates (compared to rest of UK)/lower than 35 %, so not sustainable / only paper and glass have more than 50\% recycled;
xvii. growth in population will increase demand for land (housing) and energy, so improvements may be counteracted by increased population;
xviii. green spaces are fragmented / green spaces are divided by urban barriers, so wildlife cannot move freely between habitats;
xix. central London suffers from high levels of air pollution, which is not sustainable;
xx. deer numbers rise rapidly and then crash, suggesting numbers are exceeding carrying capacity, which is not sustainable/habitat is being damaged;
xxi. only aiming for 15 % energy from renewables, which isn't using resources wisely;

Conclusion [1 max]: While many aspects of the urban management of London contribute to its sustainability such as use of vertical farming that helps to conserve water, the vast population in a relatively small area means that its environmental footprint far exceeds the area of the city.

Notes: Do not credit 'EF of London is greater than world average EF'. A valid conclusion should be credited if it is explicit, balanced (addresses both sides of the argument), supported by evidence and makes a clear value judgement. Do not credit the conclusion if only one side of the argument has been considered within the overall response.

Marking guidance:

Award [5 max] for both sustainable and non-sustainable reasons.