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What is Sustainability?
Learn the meaning behind sustainability, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the Good Life Goals you can act on.
How do you define sustainability?
Sustainability is more than just “taking care of the environment”. I define it as the ability to achieve intergenerational equity that supports environmental, societal, and economic health. It means that there needs to be a balance, such as the balance between environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic growth.
The most common definition of sustainability comes from a report called Our Common Future (1987).
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
This argues that achieving economic development doesn’t have to come at the cost of the depletion of natural resources or harm to the environment. It can grow in synergy to protect our planet now and in the future.
