Definition For Sustainability

Definition For Sustainability

Sustainability is the ability to maintain a certain status or process in existing systems. The most frequent use of the term “sustainability” is connected to biological or human systems in the context of ecology. The ability of an ecosystem to function and maintain productivity for a prolonged period is also sustainability.

Living a sustainable lifestyle is one way to help. In this series pages we will go into what sustainability has to with ecology, recycling, water, and more. We will also reveal what some companies (like Petsmart and Disney) are doing to make a difference by operating their businesses in a sustainable way.

Definition For Sustainability / Digging Deeper Into the Meaning

Sustainability in general refers to the property of being sustainable. The widely accepted definition of sustainability or sustainable development was given by World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987. It defined sustainable development as "forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

Practically, sustainability refers to three broad themes, economic, social and environmental, that must all be coordinated and addressed to ensure the long term viability of our community and the planet.

Definition For Sustainability / What are the benefits?

When considering existing or new individual, business, industrial and community practices or projects one must ensure that economic, social and environmental benefits are achieved. Each person, business, and industry has a role and a responsibility to ensure their individual and collective actions support the sustainability of our community.

Ecologically, sustainability can be defined as means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in the very long term.

Definition For Sustainability / What are the goals?

The primary goal of sustainable development is to achieve a reasonable and equitably distributed level of economic well being that can be perpetuated continually for many human generations. It also implies using renewable natural resources in a manner that does not eliminate or degrade them, or otherwise diminish their usefulness for future generations.

Sustainable development also requires depleting non-renewable energy resources at a slow enough rate so as to ensure the high probability of an orderly society

Today, around 50% of the present world population lives in urban areas. By 2050, twice as many people will live in cities as do today. The challenge posed by the transition to urban living is to harness the process to ensure progress towards sustainability.

Only through a sustainable living it is possible to reach the highest of all human goals, to permanently be able to experience inner peace, happiness and harmony.

Sources

http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/
http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm#sustainability
http://www.science.org.au/nova/071/071key.htm
http://www.who.int/apoc/sustainability/definition/en/index.html

Thank you for visiting the Definition For Sustainability page. For more information on sustainability follow these links:

Why is Sustainability Important

Definition of Sustainability

Types of Sustainability

Sustainability Tips

Recycling Sustainability

Green Sustainability

Natural Resource Sustainability

Living Sustainability

Ecology Sustainability

Sustainability Agroforestry

Water Movement Sustainability