Sustainability
What is it?
Sustainable (adj.)
1610s, "bearable," from sustain + -able.
Attested from 1845 in the sense "defensible;" from 1965 with the
meaning "capable of being continued at a certain level." Sustainable
growth is recorded from 1965.
Related: Sustainably.
Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs.
The concept of sustainability is composed of three pillars:
economic, environmental, and social—also known informally as
profits, planet, and people.
Sustainability encourages businesses to frame decisions in terms of
environmental, social, and human impact for the long-term, rather
than on short-term gains such as next quarter's earnings report.
It influences them to consider more factors than simply the
immediate profit or loss involved. Increasingly, companies have
issued sustainability goals such as commitment to zero-waste
packaging by a certain year, or to reduce overall emissions by a
certain percentage.
Economic
Human communities across the globe are able to maintain their independence and have access to the resources that they require, financial and other, to meet their needs. Economic systems are intact and activities are available to everyone, such as secure sources of livelihood.
Environmental
Ecological integrity is maintained, all of earth’s environmental systems are kept in balance while natural resources within them are consumed by humans at a rate where they are able to replenish themselves.
Social
Universal human rights and basic necessities are attainable by all people, who have access to enough resources in order to keep their families and communities healthy and secure. Healthy communities have just leaders who ensure personal, labour and cultural rights are respected and all people are protected from discrimination.