A SHIFT to Sustainability

The framework proposed is made up of five themes, describing a SHIFT to achieve a path of sustainability. They are: reStoration and reHabilitation, reInvention, reFinement, and reTraining.

These themes can be applied alone or together, to assess capital deployment initiatives, and to achieve long term yields by sustaining and increasing ecosystem intrinsic value. I will be defining these themes in detail, and then discuss the case study that inspired it. At the end, the framework will be put through a simulation exercise to assess its practicality.

Restoration & Rehabilitation

Both of these terms describe attempts to accurately recreate form, features and character as it appeared at a particular time. The restoration of an ecosystem is an attempt to return it to its historical trajectory. On the other hand, “rehabilitation” means the reparation of ecosystem processes, services, and productivity, but it does not mean to restore the ecosystem to its pre-existing condition. Replanting of trees, for example, is a form of rehabilitation, as these trees will not be the same as those that existed before deforestation happened. Preservation efforts could also be capitalized and used as a derived sub theme, as it contributes to ecosystem longevity. Preservation efforts avoid costly restoration or rehabilitation efforts in the near term…