- "Experts often describe sustainability as having three dimensions (or pillars): environmental, economic, and social"
The study of how to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Environmental Science: This is the scientific study of the environment and its ecosystems. It covers topics such as ecology, wildlife management, and environmental health.
Energy Efficiency: This refers to the practice of using less energy to perform the same tasks, such as lighting or heating.
Climate Change: This is the long-term change in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Climate change is driven by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels.
Renewable Energy: This refers to energy that is generated from sources that are constantly replenished, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.
Sustainable Agriculture: This is a method of farming that minimizes negative impacts on the environment, while still providing food to feed the world’s growing population.
Water Management: This refers to the sustainable use and management of water resources, including irrigation, water treatment, and water conservation.
Waste Management: This is the process of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials to minimize the negative environmental impact of waste.
Sustainable Transportation: This refers to the use of transportation methods that are energy efficient and emit fewer greenhouse gases.
Ecosystem Services: These are the benefits that people derive from natural ecosystems, such as clean water, air, and soil, as well as food and shelter.
Circular Economy: This is an economic system designed to eliminate waste and pollution by keeping materials in use for as long as possible, and then recovering and regenerating them at the end of their service life.
Biodiversity: This refers to the variety of life on Earth, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
Social and Economic Sustainability: This is the concept of ensuring that economic growth is sustainable in the long-term, and that it is distributed equitably among all members of society.
Corporate Sustainability: This refers to the practice of ensuring that businesses operate in a way that is sustainable for the environment, society, and the economy.
Climate Adaptation: This is the process of adjusting to the current and future impacts of climate change, including increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
Community Resilience: This refers to the ability of a community to withstand and recover from social, economic, and environmental shocks and stressors.
Ecological Sustainability: It refers to the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its balance and productivity over time.
Economic Sustainability: It emphasizes sustainable development, which involves meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own.
Social Sustainability: It refers to the capability of a society to maintain its social and cultural norms, values, and institutions over time.
Environmental Sustainability: It refers to the capability of a natural system to replenish itself and sustain itself over time while maintaining its biodiversity and productivity.
Climate Sustainability: It emphasizes sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Cultural Sustainability: It refers to the capability of a culture or community to maintain their cultural identity and heritage over time.
Political Sustainability: It refers to the capability of governance systems to sustainably manage natural resources, promote sustainable development, and maintain social stability and democracy over time.
Industrial Sustainability: It emphasizes sustainable production and consumption patterns, resource efficiency, and waste reduction.
Agricultural Sustainability: It emphasizes sustainable management of land, water, and other natural resources to ensure long-term agricultural productivity while maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity.
Energy Sustainability: It emphasizes sustainable management and utilization of energy resources to meet present and future energy needs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts.
- "sustainability often focuses on countering major environmental problems, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, loss of ecosystem services, land degradation, and air and water pollution"
- "The idea of sustainability can guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels"
- "A related concept is sustainable development, and the terms are often used to mean the same thing."
- "The economic dimension of sustainability is controversial. Scholars have discussed this under the concept of 'weak and strong sustainability.'"
- "maintaining ecosystem services, reducing food waste, promoting dietary shifts towards plant-based foods, promoting new green technologies, and adopting renewable energy sources"
- "The United Nations agreed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. These set a global agenda for sustainable development, with a deadline of 2030."
- "This means using fewer resources per unit of output even while growing the economy. This reduces the environmental impact of economic growth such as pollution."
- "Existing global organizations such as the UN and WTO are inefficient in enforcing current global regulations."
- "Business groups have tried to integrate ecological concerns with economic activity. Religious leaders have stressed the need for caring for nature and environmental stability. Individuals can also live in a more sustainable way."
- "The concept of sustainability has faced various criticisms."
- "One is that the concept is vague and only a buzzword."
- "Some experts have pointed out that 'no country is delivering what its citizens need without transgressing the biophysical planetary boundaries'."
- "Indicators consider environmental, social and economic domains. The metrics are evolving."
- "Some barriers arise from nature and its complexity. Other barriers are extrinsic to the concept of sustainability, such as the dominant institutional frameworks in countries."
- "there will always be tension between the ideas of 'welfare and prosperity for all' and environmental conservation, so trade-offs are necessary."
- "reducing population growth by cutting fertility rates"
- "Sustainability is often thought of as a long-term goal (i.e. a more sustainable world), while sustainable development refers to the many processes and pathways to achieve it."
- "there will always be tension between the ideas of 'welfare and prosperity for all' and environmental conservation"
- "Some experts say there is no evidence that it is happening at the required scale."