{"id":34008,"date":"2022-05-17T09:45:55","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T23:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myenergi.com\/?post_type=guides&#038;p=34008"},"modified":"2023-06-19T21:25:44","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T11:25:44","slug":"what-is-environmental-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"guides","link":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/guides\/what-is-environmental-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Environmental Sustainability? A Guide To Sustainable Living"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div id='block-header-basic-block_62836006a4cd8'  class='flexi-block header-basic-block pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 relative '>\n\n\n    <div class=\"relative \">\n\t\n\t<div class=\"container flex flex-col mx-auto    justify-end py-11 md:py-9 lg:py-11 \">\n\t\t<div class=\"first-mt-0 \">\n                            <h1 class=\"h2 lg:h3 !mb-0\">\n                    What is Environmental Sustainability?                <\/h1>\n                    <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"relative flex flex-wrap justify-between w-full mx-auto\">\n    <div class=\"w-full py-5 breadcrumbs\">\n        <nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><span class=\"last\">Home<\/span><\/p><\/nav>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id='block-simple-content-block_6283601ca4cd9'  class='flexi-block simple-content-block pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 '>\n\n    <div class=\"container mx-auto wide-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"content-inner bg-white rounded-2.5xl \">\n\n            <div class=\"mx-auto first-mt-0 last-mb-0 max-w-[90%] xl:max-w-[990px]  \">\n\n                <div class=\"bg-wrapper single-col-bg-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wrapper wrapper--mid\">\n<div class=\"col-12 sm-col-7 md-col-7 mx-auto fc-single-col center \">\n<p>True sustainability is when something meets our needs, without compromising our future. Sustainable practices, materials, and energy do not place strain on what they require to function, meaning that society can rely upon them in the long term future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bg-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wrapper wrapper--mid\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center fc-heading-block center\">\n<p class=\"center lightgreen bold\"><h2 class=\"h3  text-left  \">What is environmental sustainability?<\/h2><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bg-wrapper single-col-bg-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wrapper wrapper--mid\">\n<div class=\"col-12 sm-col-7 md-col-7 mx-auto fc-single-col \">\n<p>Environmental sustainability refers to anything that doesn\u2019t have a negative impact on people, living beings, or natural resources.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an umbrella term that covers everything from energy consumption to human rights and how we buy and eat our food. It can be applied to domestic households, local communities, and the world population all at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>Living sustainably covers the reduction of fuel consumption and plastic usage, while buying locally or even growing your own produce and producing your own power. By doing all of this, we create a safer environment for people, cultures, and the environment.<\/p>\n<p>At myenergi, environmental sustainability is at the heart of what we do. It motivates us to continue fighting for a better and safer world for future generations. Such a large concept can be difficult to apply in our day to day lives \u2013 which is why we\u2019ll be going over what sustainability is, and how you can achieve it.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">What are the three pillars of sustainability?<\/h3>\n<p>Researchers and academics tend to break down sustainability into three categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Economic viability<\/li>\n<li>Social equity<\/li>\n<li>Environmental protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By working out where sustainability needs to happen, we can protect the most vulnerable people, creatures, places, and resources in our world.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">How can you achieve Environmental Sustainability?<\/h3>\n<p>Environmental sustainability is what we strive towards at\u00a0myenergi. It\u2019s the process of protecting our environment and our resources long-term and preventing any depletion and damage to the world we love.<\/p>\n<p>Environmental sustainability is threatened by the burning of fossil fuels, global heating,\u00a0plastic pollution in our oceans, deforestation and so much more.<\/p>\n<p>This is why sustainability and renewability go hand in hand to help combat the\u00a0climate crisis.\u00a0Renewability\u00a0covers anything that is inexhaustible and replaceable by new growth \u2013 in other words, anything that can be sustained for long periods of time.<\/p>\n<p>With sustainable technologies like\u00a0renewable energy,\u00a0electric transportation,\u00a0and biodegradable packaging steadily becoming more accessible, we can all harness the power of sustainability in our lives to fight for our planet and collective futures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"block-fifty-fifty-img-txt-block_62836029a4cda\"  class=\"bg-white flexi-block fifty-fifty-img-txt-block  \">\n\t<div class=\"container relative z-10 flex flex-wrap justify-center pb-0 mx-auto pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 \">\n        <div class=\"flex flex-wrap w-full justify-center lg:justify-between items-center    \">\n\n            \n                <div class=\"w-full load-hidden image-wrapper lg:w-1\/2 md:max-w-[500px] lg:max-w-none  xl:pr-3.9\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-1024x1024.jpg\" class=\"w-full rounded-2.5xl\" alt=\"\" style=\"opacity: 1\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-330x330.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg-250x250.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/veg.jpg 1410w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>                <\/div>\n\n            \n            \n                <div class=\"w-full self-center lg:w-1\/2 md:max-w-[500px] lg:max-w-none lg:pl-20 2xl:pl-45 pt-12 lg:pt-0 load-hidden content-wrapper\">\n                    <div class=\"w-full first-mt-0 last-mb-0 \">\n                        <h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">Economic Sustainability<\/h3>\n<p>Economic sustainability refers to practices that support long-term economic growth without harming the social, environmental, and cultural aspects of the community.<\/p>\n<p>Practices such as committing to shopping at local businesses and restaurants, and purchasing items from charity shops and secondhand retailers are examples of things you can do to promote economic sustainability.<\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div id='block-simple-content-block_62836038a4cdb'  class='flexi-block simple-content-block pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 '>\n\n    <div class=\"container mx-auto wide-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"content-inner bg-white rounded-2.5xl \">\n\n            <div class=\"mx-auto first-mt-0 last-mb-0 max-w-[90%] xl:max-w-[990px]  \">\n\n                <div class=\"col-12 connected-full-text-block\">\n<h4 class=\"h5  text-left  \">Sustainable Materials<\/h4>\n<p>All products go through a life cycle \u2013 beginning with production and ending with disposal. Sustainable materials take each of these steps into account to ensure that there are no negative environmental consequences of the products we use.<\/p>\n<p>Materials like wood, bamboo and other plant-based materials (including plant fibres, like paper) are sustainable because they grow and decay naturally.<\/p>\n<p>Metals such as aluminum and copper recycle indefinitely, also giving them a sustainable life cycle. By utilising these sustainable materials, we can ensure that less of what we create and use ends up in landfills for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 flex center justify-center connector\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 connected-full-text-block\">\n<h4 class=\"h5  text-left  \">Sustainability and Plastic<\/h4>\n<p>The BBC television series \u2018The War On Plastic\u2019 shockingly revealed that every minute of every day, a truckload of plastic is finding its way into the oceans.<\/p>\n<p>Litter kills wildlife\u00a0and pollutes our seas, beaches and landscapes. There are on average\u00a019,500,000,000 pieces\u00a0of plastic inside UK homes.<\/p>\n<p>An estimated\u00a050% of the total plastic made is only used once\u00a0before being discarded into our environment \u2013 where it\u00a0remains for 400 years\u00a0before biodegrading down into harmful chemicals and smaller fragments that are ingested by animals.<\/p>\n<p>At present, only\u00a09% of the world\u2019s plastic is recycled. Single-use plastics such as shopping bags, straws and food packaging are the biggest unnecessary polluters, as they have no renewability.<\/p>\n<p>This is why\u00a0reducing your plastic usage\u00a0where possible is so incredibly important.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id='block-simple-content-block_62836048a4cdc'  class='flexi-block simple-content-block pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 '>\n\n    <div class=\"container mx-auto wide-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"content-inner bg-white rounded-2.5xl \">\n\n            <div class=\"mx-auto first-mt-0 last-mb-0 max-w-[90%] xl:max-w-[990px]  \">\n\n                <p class=\"center lightgreen bold\"><h2 class=\"h3  text-left  \">Reduce, Reuse, Recycle<\/h2><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>There are many small but powerful changes we can all make to our lives to live more sustainably. One of the main things we can do to\u00a0reduce our carbon footprint\u00a0is to adopt the mantra, \u2018Reduce, Reuse, Recycle\u2019.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t<div id='block-columns-block_62836052a4cdd'  class='bg-white flexi-block columns-block pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 columns overflow-x-hidden'>\n\t\t<div class=\"container relative z-10 mx-auto max-w-8xl\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-7.5 lg:grid-cols-3 \">\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-full w-full load-hidden flex flex-wrap flex-col column column-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-full first-mt-0 last-mb-0 grow pb-7 lg:pb-10 !pt-0 \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">Reduce<\/h3>\n<p>We can all reduce our harmful consumption of energy, electricity and plastics by making small but powerful changes.<\/p>\n<p>Save on energy consumption by switching to LED bulbs, and always turning lights and unused appliances off. Other significant changes you can make to help the environment include avoiding products that have unnecessary plastic packaging and cutting out single use plastics.<\/p>\n<p>If we also\u00a0cut down how much meat\u00a0we consume, and eat locally and seasonably where possible, we can massively lessen our carbon footprints.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-full w-full load-hidden flex flex-wrap flex-col column column-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-full first-mt-0 last-mb-0 grow pb-7 lg:pb-10 !pt-0 \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">Reuse<\/h3>\n<p>Turn good intentions into\u00a0good habits\u00a0by buying pre-owned items where possible, as well as buying less overall.<\/p>\n<p>From vintage clothing to secondhand books, appliances and more \u2013 we can save the money we would spend on new items, whilst also stopping the unnecessary creation of waste by throwing away things we don\u2019t use.<\/p>\n<p>By donating unused items to charity shops or selling them online, we can also spare our old stuff heading to landfills \u2013 so others can benefit from our sustainable decisions!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-full w-full load-hidden flex flex-wrap flex-col column column-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-full first-mt-0 last-mb-0 grow pb-7 lg:pb-10 !pt-0 \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">Recycle<\/h3>\n<p>Recycling is one of the most fundamental ways we can put an end to polluting our environment. By using items that come in wholly recyclable packaging, we can minimize household waste and pollution.<\/p>\n<p>Choose to live more sustainably by paying attention to symbols on the packaging and\u00a0recycling correctly.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block-fifty-fifty-img-txt-block_62836075a4cdf\"  class=\"bg-white flexi-block fifty-fifty-img-txt-block  \">\n\t<div class=\"container relative z-10 flex flex-wrap justify-center pb-0 mx-auto pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 \">\n        <div class=\"flex flex-wrap w-full justify-center lg:justify-between items-center    lg:flex-row-reverse\">\n\n            \n                <div class=\"w-full load-hidden image-wrapper lg:w-1\/2 md:max-w-[500px] lg:max-w-none  xl:pl-3.9\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-1024x1024.jpg\" class=\"w-full rounded-2.5xl\" alt=\"How long does an electric car take to charge? | myenergi Australia\" style=\"opacity: 1\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1-250x250.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/05\/0318-1.jpg 1410w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>                <\/div>\n\n            \n            \n                <div class=\"w-full self-center lg:w-1\/2 md:max-w-[500px] lg:max-w-none lg:pr-20 2xl:pr-45 pt-12 lg:pb-0 load-hidden content-wrapper\">\n                    <div class=\"w-full first-mt-0 last-mb-0 \">\n                        <h3 class=\"h4  text-left  \">Clean Energy<\/h3>\n<p>Between January and May 2019, Britain generated more power from clean energy than from fossil fuels for the first time since the Industrial Revolution.<\/p>\n<p>With electricity from renewable resources making up an ever-increasing amount of our national grid, there\u2019s never been a better time to change your tariff to a\u00a0green energy supplier.<\/p>\n<p>To become even more sustainable, you could consider\u00a0self-consuming your own renewable energy\u00a0with the help of our\u00a0green products.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve also put together a list of all the\u00a0green UK energy providers\u00a0that you can easily make the transition to!<\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div id='block-simple-content-block_62836085a4ce0'  class='flexi-block simple-content-block pt-8 lg:pt-16 pb-8 lg:pb-16 '>\n\n    <div class=\"container mx-auto wide-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"content-inner bg-white rounded-2.5xl \">\n\n            <div class=\"mx-auto first-mt-0 last-mb-0 max-w-[90%] xl:max-w-[990px]  \">\n\n                <div class=\"col-12 connected-full-text-block\">\n<h2 class=\"h3  text-left  \">Sustainability as a Mindset<\/h2>\n<p>Understanding what is environmental sustainability is the first step to changing to a sustainable mindset. In 2012, the\u00a0Sustainable Development Group of the United Nations\u00a0(SDG) came up with a list of\u00a017 sustainable goals for the future. These objectives outlined the global responsibilities we should all be taking to help the environment.<\/p>\n<p>The SDG acknowledged that nature and the environment have their own rights \u2013 and that we as people only have stewardship of the world.<\/p>\n<p>By reminding ourselves that the planet is home to millions of living beings other than ourselves, we\u2019re encouraged to take more responsibility for our actions.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0SDG\u00a0states that \u201cSustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s so important to put people at the front of solving climate change. Through managing our environment and how much we consume, we can begin to build a more sustainable future for us all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 flex center justify-center connector\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 connected-full-text-block\">\n<h2 class=\"h3  text-left  \">A Sustainable Future<\/h2>\n<p>No one knows what the long term future is going to look like for our planet. However, with new technologies emerging every day that eradicate the need for fossil fuels, single-use plastics, and pollutants \u2013 we are now beginning to prepare for a more sustainable world.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last 70 years, we have placed incredible strain on our planet\u2019s resources: through intensive farming, the technological revolution, our huge demand for electricity, and more. As we begin to wake up to the harsh realities of\u00a0climate change, it has become vital that we develop new technologies to cope with our energy demands.<\/p>\n<p>Here at myenergi, we continue every day to design, engineer and create\u00a0renewable energy technology\u00a0that is accessible to everyone. We also recognise how pivotal it is to\u00a0educate people\u00a0on renewability and sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>By taking responsibility for our impact on the planet, we can pave the way for renewable energy to become generated and used in every home \u2013\u00a0reducing our carbon footprints\u00a0and making a sustainable future for all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 flex center justify-center connector\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 connected-full-text-block\">\n<h4 class=\"h5  text-left  \">How has coronavirus impacted sustainability?<\/h4>\n<p>The coronavirus pandemic, despite its many tragic consequences and difficult challenges, has enforced a more sustainable and resourceful way of living our lives.<\/p>\n<p>Many of us are now only making journeys for essential supplies, as these exceptional circumstances reduce unnecessary car journeys and commuting across the nation.<\/p>\n<p>With supermarket shelves empty and each of us spending much more time at home, we\u2019ve become far more aware of the food, products and electricity we may have been consuming unnecessarily before the lockdown.<\/p>\n<p>The drastic lifestyle changes and exceptional circumstances of\u00a0coronavirus have affected wildlife\u00a0and\u00a0the environment, causing many of us to reflect on what is truly essential to us.<\/p>\n<p>However, there is hope for a more sustainable future. A coronavirus survey conducted by\u00a0edie\u00a0showed that working from home has, and could more often in the future, become the new normal \u2013 as 79% of all people surveyed said they could seamlessly work from home.<\/p>\n<p>We hope that this incredible mentality of living more sustainably and compassionately creates a \u2018new normal\u2019 once we get through this, and are allowed to live our lives as usual again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","guides-category":[75,41],"class_list":["post-34008","guides","type-guides","status-publish","hentry","guides-category-frequently-asked-industry-made-easy","guides-category-industry-made-easy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides\/34008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/guides"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides\/34008\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"guides-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myenergi.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides-category?post=34008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}