The Government's Role In Sustainability

Sustainability is an extremely complicated idea that is ever evolving. According to the United Nations’ Bruntland commission, “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. ” In an effort to help move society toward a more sustainable future, various governments throughout the world are leading a revolution amongst concerned citizens, concerned organizations and even amongst concerned private companies. Government has a valuable role to play is the future of a sustainable planet and in truth has always had a role to play in sustainability. Looking at the key functions of government, it becomes easy to pinpoint those areas where government …show more content…
Solar panels, biofuels, and other sustainable technologies are still new and developing in many areas and individual implementation of infrastructure and maintenance can be extremely cost prohibitive. The role of government in this scenario is to redistribute funds and resources to both individuals and industries to make sustainability economically accessible. The best way to do this is through government subsidies and grants that fund companies and researchers dedicated to implementing and improving sustainable technology. This investment in the future will spur the private sector to invest in sustainability as well as provide money to hone the science behind sustainable industries. As corporate infrastructure develops alongside technology, the price of being sustainable will drop as a result of increased competition. Another tactic the government can implement to move towards sustainable development is to provide tax breaks to individuals or organizations that choose to install sustainable technology in their homes or businesses. Financial incentives such as tax incentives have the potential to be major drivers of change if the economic incentive for the individual or company is significant enough to drive action. Furthermore, the government must work to redistribute funding from non-sustainable industries, …show more content…
Similar to other issues that the government is attempting to identify as policy issues and push for solutions, government’s role is typically best set at writing rules and then looking for private industry and citizens to find the most efficient way to operate within the government imposed rules and regulations looking to find the best possible solution for consumers. Capitalism works best when all players in the free market operate under the same rules and yet compete for resources and compete for demand by consumers. Those companies or individuals that best meet the needs of consumers through prudent and proper supply of solutions within the constraints imposed by legislative and administrative rules and regulations will be the companies that succeed and prosper. Capitalism’s supply and demand laws have proven time and again to be the most efficient way to move society forward and this is no different as the government continues to pass rules and regulations concerning all manner of sustainable development. Government’s role is to set the rules through income redistribution – typically taxes - and resource allocation. The private sector’s role is to meet the needs of consumers operating within the rules laid down by