2.4: Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Sustainability is the idea that humans should meet their needs without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Although the term is relatively modern, many Indigenous cultures have long emphasized responsibilities to future generations and long-term relationships with the natural world.

In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition highlights the connection between environmental health, social well-being, and economic prosperity.

Sustainability recognizes that environmental problems are often linked to social and economic systems. Solutions that focus only on one part of the system may create new problems elsewhere. As a result, sustainability encourages people to consider environmental, social, and economic impacts together. Some scholars argue that sustainability should focus not only on maintaining systems but also on restoring degraded ecosystems and improving environmental conditions. These ideas are reflected in concepts such as restoration, regeneration, and regenerative sustainability.

Today, sustainability provides a framework for addressing environmental challenges while considering the needs of people, their communities, future generations, and the ecosystems that support life on Earth.

Attributions 

This page was heavily revised and rewritten by Erin Rempala and contains adapted content originally authored by Melissa Ha and Rachel Schleiger is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Modified by Erin Rempala from:

• Sustainable Development Report website based on Sustainable Development Report(opens in new window) [doi.org]

Modified by Rachel Schleiger from Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation by Openstax (licensed under CC-BY)