Previsions on Sustainability

Sustainability is one of the most popular concepts today. In fact, it inevitably plays a significant role in every conversation—whether academic, political, or social. So what is sustainability? There is no universally agreed-upon definition. However, there is consensus that sustainability refers to the “ability to endure.”

Why is this important, or why is it even more important today? The answer to this question lies in humanity’s realization of the consequences of its destructive power and its understanding that it is heading toward a catastrophe.

Why is sustainability important?

It’s important because we’re talking about the future of the world. The key to a more livable world lies in sustainability. Naturally, this concept represents the entire world, not just a segment of it. First, we must protect the ecosystem essential for human life, and then, over time, restore the ecosystem that has been damaged. From this perspective, when we talk about sustainability, environmental awareness is the first thing that comes to mind. But is sustainability limited to this? Of course not. In addition to its environmental dimension, sustainability also has social and economic dimensions. 

We did not inherit this world from our forefathers, but rather received it as a trust from our children. Therefore, while meeting the needs of the present, we must ensure that we do not compromise the ability to meet the needs of future generations. Consequently, the ability to create a structure that ensures the survival of both humans and other organisms is of paramount importance. Even the extinction of just the bee population alone could have a ripple effect leading to the extinction of all living things.

At this point, the first thing that comes to mind is the necessity of preventing the reckless consumption of natural resources. No matter how you look at it, natural resources are finite. Consuming resources that took centuries to form in the blink of an eye will result in future generations being deprived of these resources. This signals a reversal in the progress of human life. The only way to prevent this is to ensure that existing resources are not consumed faster than they can be naturally replenished, or to find new alternative methods for these resources.

The History of Sustainability

It would not be wrong to say that the history of sustainability runs parallel to the history of humanity. Every event that negatively impacts the world’s livability leaves a mark on sustainability. However, up until the 18th century, we can say that humans lived in harmony with and intertwined with nature. Until that time, humans had caused more harm to themselves than to nature.

That said, the settlers’ extermination of bison—the Native Americans’ primary food source—in their quest to conquer the Native Americans may well be the most significant event prior to the 18th century. “When the last river runs dry, the last tree is cut down, and the last fish dies, the white man will realize that money is not something you can eat.” While this Native American proverb may not have proven entirely accurate, it remains a valid observation regarding the natural balance.

However, environmental degradation gained momentum with the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent World Wars I and II. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution led to the reckless exploitation of both fossil fuels and natural resources. Coal, first used to generate steam for engines and later to produce electricity, began to wreak havoc on the environment. At the same time, the natural resources used as raw materials for the production of iron and steel products, along with the coal and fossil fuels required for energy in production, simultaneously polluted the air. The waste generated during production only added to the disaster. Humanity’s insatiable consumption frenzy has led to the rapid depletion of resources that took millions of years to form. 

The English economist Thomas Robert Malthus proposed the theory of the Malthusian trap or Malthusian catastrophe. According to the theory, while food supplies increase arithmetically, the population grows geometrically. Consequently, as the population increases, food supplies will be unable to meet the needs of the growing population, and as a result, the population will naturally balance itself in accordance with food availability. However, due to advancing technologies, food supplies have increased faster than the population. Today, the world’s problem is obesity rather than malnutrition.

On the other hand, advances in medical science have protected people from disease and further increased the population. During the Roman period, the average life expectancy was 35 years. Today in Türkiye, life expectancy is estimated to be 75.6 years for men and 81.2 years for women. The decline in the population growth rate stems not so much from food shortages as from people’s increasing individualism and their prioritization of personal comfort.

Economic Sustainability

The primary priority for ensuring sustainability is the prevention of climate change. The most effective step taken internationally in this regard is the Paris Climate Agreement, also known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The agreement, to which 191 countries are parties, aims to limit the global average temperature increase to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this, all countries are expected to reduce their emissions.

Reducing emissions entails a truly high economic cost. In Türkiye alone, the cost of the green transition in the energy sector is expected to be between 75 and 100 billion dollars. When we assess the issue across all sectors and all countries, this figure alone demonstrates the magnitude of the transition costs. While the question of how these costs will be covered has not yet been resolved, negotiations are ongoing. Under the agreement, each country must determine, plan, and regularly report on the contributions it has undertaken to mitigate global warming.

To reduce emissions, it is necessary to convert high-emission production processes to low-emission ones, phase out the consumption of fossil fuels and gases that deplete the ozone layer and pollute the air, generate energy from renewable sources, and eliminate all activities that pollute the environment, such as waste recycling. At least part of the cost of this transition is covered by taxes levied on polluters under the “polluter pays” principle.

Sustainability from a customs perspective

As of January 1, 2026, under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, authorities will verify upon entry into the country whether the carbon tax on imported goods has been paid and, if not, will collect it. This practice is expected to become widespread worldwide over time.

The subject of customs procedures is foreign trade. As a necessity of the green transition, a transformation in the types of goods subject to foreign trade will also be inevitable. 

Furthermore, it is a fact that the green transition will be encouraged on an international scale. In this context, on the one hand, more favorable conditions will be provided for financing the green transition, and on the other hand, more appropriate customs tariffs will be applied to goods imported for this purpose. In both cases, a noticeable increase in the volume of trade in goods related to the green transition is anticipated.