The Basics

The definition of sustainability has varied with time and context.

The UN World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Now, more than ever, the question looming over countries, corporation, and people alike is ‘how can we grow without causing irreversible damage to our environment and using up our finite resources?’

We depend on the earth’s resources for many of our basic needs. Most resources can be replenished, allowing us to use them time and time again. However, if we were to use these resources faster than they could be replenished, they shrink. Let’s take fishing for example. If you are fishing at a faster rate than the fishes can birth offspring and replenish their population, the number of fishes will slowly decrease.

Sustainability lies in the practice of using a resource at the same rate that it is replenished. This is called maintaining equilibrium. On the flip side, unsustainable practice cause irreversible damage to the environment by bringing forward problems such as climate change and pollution.

We as a society are still figuring out how we can continue to grow, improve, and function optimally whilst being sustainable.

Here are some resources to solidify and deepen your understanding: