What is Sustainability

Sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable living, all have many different definitions, but can be described as building the kind of world—economically, environmentally and socially—that we want to live in, and one that we want our children and grandchildren to inherit.

The central theme of sustainability is that the economy, society and the environment are intricately linked, balanced and connected, and that choices we make involving one element must be made in conjunction with, and will affect all of, the other elements.

Or to be more accurate, more than just overlapping, an economy exists within society, and both the economy and society exist within the environment.

Focusing on one element in isolation, on the other hand, often has a detrimental effect on the others. For example the often used Government strategy of increasing duty on petrol (or vehicle licence fees and/or road tolls) in the name of reducing traffic, pollution and therefore "doing their part:" to help solve global warming. Will they work? Partly, but only partly – and often at great inconvenience and hardship to normal working people.

A sustainable approach would not do so without examining and addressing public transport alternatives and attitudes, demographics of the population, location of residential to the workplace, urban v rural balance, the culture of flexible working hours and home working, and so on. And then come up with intregral solutions.

Sustainability requires managing all households -- individual, community, national, and global – on a medium/long term perspective, rather than short term benefits, in ways that ensure that our economy and society can continue to exist without destroying the natural environment on which we all depend.  Key questions asked in a sustainable community include:

• Are we using this resource faster than it can be renewed?
• Are we enhancing the social and human capital upon which our community depends?

Sustainability demands that individuals, companies and countries pursue a path not purely of measuring results against a single financial bottom line (the economy only), but against the "triple bottom line" of economy, society and environment. The key to long term prosperity, where everyone wins.

"Fundamentally transforming the foundations of the economy is the biggest contribution we can make towards building a sustainable future. The current economic crisis may be painful, but it will be nothing compared with the crises we will face if we continue to grow in a way that threatens the life-support systems on which we rely"
Jonathon Porritt, Chairman, Sustainable Development Commission, March 2008.