Why is enhancing environmental sustainability important?

Enhancing environmental sustainability is crucial primarily because it helps maintain healthy ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems provide invaluable services that are essential for life, including clean air and water, pollination of plants, regulation of the climate, and support for biodiversity. These ecosystems also contribute to human wellbeing by offering resources such as food, medicine, and materials.

When sustainability practices are implemented, they promote the responsible use of resources and reduce pollution and waste, ensuring that ecosystems can continue to function effectively and support both current and future generations. Sustainable practices can lead to enhanced resilience against environmental changes and disasters, thereby preserving the natural balance and services that healthy ecosystems provide.

In contrast, increasing energy consumption, reducing resource efficiency, or prioritizing economic growth at the expense of environmental health would compromise ecosystem integrity and the services they offer, leading to a decline in environmental quality and ultimately affecting human health and survival.