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.

1define1 mark
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Define the term footprint in an environmental context.
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2identify1 mark
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Using Figure 1, identify the country that meets the minimum criteria for sustainability.
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3define1 mark
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Define the term sustainability.
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4state1 mark
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State what is meant by a single indicator of development.
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5state2 marks
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State the three pillars (domains) of sustainability.
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6state2 marks
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State two different scales at which environmental justice can be applied.
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7define1 mark
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Define a composite indicator.
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8state1 mark
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State the unit commonly used for ecological footprint.
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9state1 mark
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State what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are.
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10define1 mark
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Define the term environmental justice.
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11outline2 marks
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Using Figure 1, outline the relationship between HDI and ecological footprint shown by most countries.
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12define2 marks
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Define regulatory capture and state one possible consequence for environmental protection.
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13explain3 marks
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Explain what is meant by environmental justice.
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14explain2 marks
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Explain how the planetary pressures–adjusted HDI (PHDI) differs from HDI.
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15suggest2 marks
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Using Figure 1, suggest why African countries cluster in the bottom-left area of the graph.
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16outline3 marks
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Outline the meaning of economic sustainability.
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17explain2 marks
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Explain one reason why the SDGs are useful for governments and organisations.
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181 mark
What does sustainability mean in an ecosystem?
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19define2 marks
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Define biocapacity.
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20distinguish2 marks
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Distinguish between strong and weak sustainability.
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