IB Global Politics Nature, Practice and Study of Development and Sustainability Key Definitions

Absolute poverty refers to a condition where people do not have enough resources to secure the basic essentials for survival, including food, safe water, shelter, and healthcare. It is measured against a fixed threshold such as the World Bank’s $3.00 per day standard.

Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) is the principle, enshrined in the UNFCCC (1992), that all states share responsibility for addressing climate change, but that industrialised states bear a greater burden because of their historically higher cumulative emissions.

CBDR is contested: Global North states argue it exempts major emerging emitters like China and India, while Global South states invoke it to demand financing and technology transfers before accepting binding emission cuts.

Development refers to the process of improving the economic, social, and political well-being of people.

Equity refers to proportional or differentiated treatment designed to account for existing disadvantage, so that individuals can reach comparable outcomes or access.

It differs from equality in that equity recognises that identical treatment does not produce fair outcomes when starting conditions differ.

Refers to economically and industrially advanced countries, generally located north of less developed nations.

Refers to countries with lower levels of economic and industrial development, typically found south of more developed nations.

Inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources, opportunities, and power among individuals, groups, or nations.

Multidimensional poverty refers to poverty that goes beyond just income levels, capturing multiple deprivations people face in their daily lives. It includes limited access to education, healthcare, clean water and sanitation, housing, and basic living standards.

A major theory in global politics focused on power and the idea that international relations are shaped by conflict and self-interest.

Relative poverty describes a situation where people possess fewer resources than the average in their society, which restricts their ability to take part fully in normal social and economic activities. It highlights inequality within a specific context rather than survival itself.

Strong sustainability holds that certain forms of natural capital are critical and cannot be substituted by anything else. Their loss makes the whole system unsustainable, no matter how much else is gained.

Sustainability refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainability refers to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainability ensures that development meets present needs without compromising future generations.

Brundtland Commission defines it as: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Other definitions emphasize the need to balance economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection.

Weak sustainability holds that natural capital can be substituted by human-made capital. So long as total capital is maintained or grows, the loss of any single natural resource is acceptable.