Unit 1: Foundations of ESS

Topic 1.4: Sustainability Questions

Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB ESS Topic 1.4. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.

1state1 mark
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State what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are.
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2define1 mark
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Define the term sustainability.
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3state1 mark
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State the unit commonly used for ecological footprint.
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4state2 marks
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State the three pillars (domains) of sustainability.
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5identify1 mark
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Using Figure 1, identify the country that meets the minimum criteria for sustainability.
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6define1 mark
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Define a composite indicator.
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7define1 mark
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Define the term environmental justice.
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8define1 mark
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Define the term footprint in an environmental context.
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9state1 mark
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State what is meant by a single indicator of development.
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10state2 marks
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State two different scales at which environmental justice can be applied.
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11outline3 marks
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Using the nested dependencies model, outline the relationship between the environment, society and the economy.
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12explain2 marks
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Explain one reason why the SDGs are useful for governments and organisations.
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13outline3 marks
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Outline the meaning of social sustainability.
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14outline4 marks
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Outline two ways an individual can reduce their ecological footprint.
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15outline3 marks
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Outline the meaning of environmental sustainability.
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161 mark
What does sustainability mean in an ecosystem?
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17outline2 marks
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Outline how data gaps can limit SDG progress tracking.
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18outline2 marks
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PM2.5 is used as an air pollution indicator. Outline why, for this indicator, lower values are generally better.
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19evaluate4 marks
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Using Figure 1, evaluate two strategies a country could implement to meet the minimum criteria for sustainability.
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20outline2 marks
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HDI values range from 0 to 1. Outline what a higher HDI value suggests about a country.
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