Sustainability

Sustainability is a set of ideas for systemic reform that responds to problems of resource depletion and environmental threats. These are principles that rationalise social and political action, motivating behaviour changes in many sectors of society, the economy and human relations with the environment.

Most websites relating to the sustainability rubric typically emphasize the consequences of climate change and advocate for environmentalism. Key sites are international and environmental protection agency, advocacy organizations and research institutes.

As the concept has evolved in academia, activism and practice over the last two decades, it has accompanied a shift to more integrative approaches to ecology and resource management. Sustainable philosophies have been taken up in many areas of human organization and activities, eg sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy and sustainable living.

Sustainable development is an elastic concept, as a wide array of views fall under its umbrella.  Inherent in its classic Brundtland definition of "meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" is the unresolved contradiction of on the one hand increasing needs based on an economic model of growth versus finite resource limits. This debate has been taken up by the environmental movement.

Fast Facts

1. Limits of Growth, published by the Club of Rome in 1972
2. UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 ('Earth Summit')
3. The Johannesburg Summit 2002 (Earth Summit +10)

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