Drivers
Increases in population and economic activity are driving significant changes in the environment and human health. Planning for sustainable growth can help to alleviate these impacts.
The topics in this theme describe how population and the environment and economic activity and the environment drive impacts on the environment and human health.
Our population’s increasing demands on resources and high levels of waste place increasing strain on nature’s ability to support us.
Our economy depends on natural resources for food, water, air, minerals and for the disposal of waste. Valuing nature will help us to consider the environment in decision-making.
Population and the environment
Our current use of the natural resources we rely on, including food, water, shelter and medicine, is putting significant strain on nature’s ability to support us. This impact will increase as our population continues to grow.
Many issues facing the environment are caused or exacerbated by post-colonial human activities. Resource extraction and use, infrastructure increase, and waste generation all contribute to environmental impacts.
The impacts include land, water and air pollution; damaged ecosystems; threats to plant and animal species; and climate change.
They affect our ability to produce food and access safe drinking water.
Climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme climate and weather events and is threatening ecosystem collapse in some areas.
Key findings from the 2024 report
- By June 2023, of the 8.34 million people living in NSW, 5.1 million (61%) Greater Sydney, 1.9 million (23%) in coastal areas and 1.3 million (16%) inland.
- By 2041, the NSW population is expected to grow to 10.1 million people. Greater Sydney’s population is forecast to reach about 6.3 million.
- Population growth is decoupling (separating) from some key environmental trends. While population is growing, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are declining.
- Waste generation is outpacing population increase. Total waste generation rose from 18.7 million tonnes in 2015–16 to 22.4 million tonnes in 2022–23.
Economics and the environment
All the elements have Lore, cultural Lore, right LORE.
Our trading practices included the exchange of cultural knowledge, various items and plant life. The seeds for trade would be wrapped up in a clay ball, which is how they're usually carried. So, you were carrying around five or seven clay balls, and inside those five or seven clay balls there could be anywhere between 10 to 15 to 50 different seeds in that ball.
If seeds were traded with other people, an explanation was given to how and when to plant and water.
As our population grows, so too does our economy, including producing, consuming and exchanging goods and services. Our economy depends on natural resources to convert into products, to dispose of waste and to supply critical life-support services like food, water, air and wellbeing.
Environmental impacts vary depending on the nature of the economic activity and are influenced by policy settings and regulatory frameworks, industry, whether an economy uses domestic or imported resources and whether the goods and services produced are consumed locally or exported.
Decoupling economic growth from potential environmental impacts is important in creating a sustainable future. It will allow for a continued improvement in quality of life for our communities without placing the environment at risk.
Valuing nature as an asset (natural capital) is becoming more important for the continued protection of the environment. Natural capital accounting is a new economic tool that can help governments include environmental considerations in decision-making.
Current economic approaches that aim to address environmental considerations include cost-benefit analysis, taxes and offsets.
Key findings from the 2024 report
- Since 1990, the NSW economy has grown on average by 2.4% a year (measured by gross state product).
- Economic growth is decoupling (separating) from some key environmental trends. Gross state product is growing, while energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are declining.
- Recent shifts towards natural capital accounting provide opportunities to reduce environmental impacts of economic development.
- Global reporting requirements (such as nature-related financial disclosures) may provide opportunities for more comprehensive reporting on biodiversity impacts.