Sustainable Development and Globalization

MYP Unit Framework

Key Concept: GLOBAL INTERACTIONS Related Concepts: Sustainability. Resources. Equity. Global Context: Globalization and Sustainability (How does globalisation create opportunities AND challenges for sustainable development?) Statement of Inquiry: Globalization creates interdependence that can either advance or undermine sustainable development.

Inquiry Questions

1. Understanding Globalisation

What Is Globalisation?

'Globalisation is the INCREASING INTERCONNECTION of the world through trade, investment, technology, culture, and migration. It is not NEW — the Silk Road, colonialism, and the Industrial Revolution are earlier forms of globalisation. But the SPEED and SCALE of contemporary globalisation is UNPRECEDENTED.'

Dimensions of globalisation:

Drivers of Globalisation

• Technology: The internet, container shipping, jet travel. 'The cost of transporting goods, communicating, and travelling has FALLEN DRAMATICALLY. The world has "shrunk."'
• Trade liberalisation: Reduction of tariffs and barriers. 'The World Trade Organization (WTO) has promoted FREE TRADE since 1995.'
• Global finance: Capital moves across borders almost INSTANTLY. 'Foreign direct investment. Stock markets. Cryptocurrency.'
• Migration: People move across borders for work, education, and safety. 'Over 280 million people live outside their country of birth.'

2. The Promise and Peril of Globalisation

The Promise — Growth, Poverty Reduction, Innovation

'Globalisation has lifted HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of people out of poverty. China's economic transformation — the most rapid poverty reduction in human history — would have been IMPOSSIBLE without integration into the global economy.'

'Access to global markets means farmers in Kenya can sell coffee to consumers in Tokyo. Access to global knowledge means a student in rural India can take a free online course from MIT. Access to global medicine means vaccines developed in Europe can save lives in Africa.'

The Peril — Inequality, Exploitation, Cultural Homogenisation

'But globalisation has also CREATED and DEEPENED inequality. The benefits of globalisation have been DISTRIBUTED UNEVENLY — both BETWEEN countries and WITHIN them.'

Inequality between countries: 'Some countries have been INTEGRATED into the global economy on favourable terms (China, South Korea, Singapore). Others have been LEFT BEHIND — especially in Africa, where colonial patterns of resource extraction have persisted.'

Inequality within countries: 'Even in countries that have BENEFITED from globalisation, the gains have gone DISPROPORTIONATELY to the wealthy. In the United States, the top 1% have captured almost ALL the income growth since 1980. Meanwhile, manufacturing workers have lost jobs to global competition.'

Exploitation: 'Global supply chains often depend on CHEAP LABOUR in developing countries. Garment workers in Bangladesh earn pennies per hour. Cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo — including children — work in DANGEROUS conditions to supply the batteries for our smartphones and electric cars.'

Cultural homogenisation: 'As global brands (McDonald's, Nike, Netflix) become UNIVERSAL, local cultures are ERODED. Languages are dying — one every two weeks. Indigenous knowledge is being LOST. Is global culture making the world RICHER — or more BORING?'

3. Sustainable Development — The Framework

From 'Growth' to 'Development'

'Economic GROWTH is measured by GDP — the total value of goods and services produced. But GDP measures QUANTITY, not QUALITY. A country can have high GDP growth while its people are UNHEALTHY, its environment is DESTROYED, and its inequality is GROWING.'

'Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the PRESENT without compromising the ability of FUTURE generations to meet their own needs. It has THREE dimensions: economic, social, and ENVIRONMENTAL.'

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

'In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals — a BLUEPRINT for achieving a better and more sustainable future for ALL by 2030.'

Critiques of the SDGs

'The SDGs are AMBITIOUS — but are they ACHIEVABLE? Critics argue: (1) They are too MANY and too VAGUE. (2) They are NOT legally binding — governments can IGNORE them. (3) They do not address the ROOT CAUSES of inequality — capitalism, colonialism, and power. (4) They assume ECONOMIC GROWTH can continue forever on a FINITE planet.'

4. Climate Change — The Ultimate Global Challenge

The Science

'Climate change is caused by the ACCUMULATION of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane) in the atmosphere — primarily from burning FOSSIL FUELS. The Earth's average temperature has risen by about 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times. This may not sound like much — but it is ENOUGH to cause extreme weather, rising sea levels, and ecosystem collapse.'

The Injustice

'Climate change is the ULTIMATE example of global inequality. The countries that have CONTRIBUTED the MOST to climate change (Western industrialised nations, China) are not the ones SUFFERING the MOST. The countries that SUFFER the MOST (low-lying island nations, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia) have contributed the LEAST.'

'The average person in the United States emits about 15 tons of CO2 per year. The average person in Bangladesh emits less than ONE ton. But Bangladesh is FAR more vulnerable to climate impacts — cyclones, flooding, sea-level rise. This is not just an environmental problem. It is a PROBLEM OF JUSTICE.'

The Response

'International climate agreements — the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the Paris Agreement (2015) — have established FRAMEWORKS for collective action. But they have NOT been ENOUGH. Global emissions continue to RISE. The question is: Can the world COOPERATE — or will national self-interest PREVENT meaningful action?'

5. Pathways to a Sustainable Future

What Needs to Change?

Energy transition: Shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro). 'The cost of renewable energy has FALLEN DRAMATICALLY. In many places, solar and wind are NOW CHEAPER than coal and gas.'

Circular economy: Move from a 'take-make-dispose' model to a model where materials are REUSED and RECYCLED. 'The linear economy is UNSUSTAINABLE. There is no AWAY — everything we throw away goes SOMEWHERE.'

Sustainable consumption: Reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle — at the INDIVIDUAL level. 'But individual action is NOT ENOUGH. The biggest impact comes from SYSTEMIC change — government policies, corporate responsibility, international agreements.'

Global cooperation: Strengthen international institutions. Reform global trade rules. 'No country can solve these problems ALONE. Climate change, pandemics, and inequality are GLOBAL problems that require GLOBAL solutions.'

Your Summative Assessment — The SDG Research Project

Task: Choose ONE Sustainable Development Goal that interests you. Research the CURRENT STATE of progress toward that goal globally. Identify ONE specific country or region where the goal is particularly RELEVANT. Analyse: What are the CHALLENGES to achieving this goal? What ROLE has globalisation played — positive or negative? What ACTIONS are being taken by governments, NGOs, and international organisations? What MORE needs to be done? Present your findings as a STRUCTURED RESEARCH REPORT (1500 words) with a bibliography.

'This assessment develops the research, analysis, and communication skills you will need for the IB DP Extended Essay and Internal Assessments across subjects.'

ATL Skills

Formative Assessments

Interdisciplinary Connections

• Sciences: Climate science, ecology, renewable energy technology.
• Economics: Trade, development economics, inequality.
• Geography: Globalisation, migration, resource distribution.
• TOK: Can statistics 'prove' progress? How do we know if the SDGs are working?

Service as Action

• Sustainability audit: Conduct a waste/energy audit of your school and propose improvements.
• Awareness campaign: Create materials educating the school community about the SDGs.
• Local partnership: Partner with a local NGO working on a sustainability issue (waste, water, energy).

IB Learner Profile Attributes

Self-Test Questions

1. Define globalisation and list FIVE dimensions with examples.

2. What are TWO positive and TWO negative effects of globalisation? Provide specific examples.

3. What is sustainable development? How is it different from economic growth?

4. List the THREE dimensions of sustainable development and explain how they INTERACT.

5. Choose ONE SDG. Describe the goal, current progress, and ONE major challenge to achieving it.

6. Why is climate change described as a PROBLEM OF JUSTICE? Explain the relationship between historical responsibility and current vulnerability.

7. What is the circular economy? How does it differ from the current linear economic model?