Sustainability

Sustainability is an evolving concept that expresses holistic thinking integrating society, economy, and ecology. This concept has been advanced to guide actions within present society to ensure continued existence and prosperity into the foreseeable future. Therefore, sustainability can be defined as an integrated understanding of the interconnectedness of human activity with all related man-made and naturally occurring systems. The goal of sustainability is often conflated with the approach needed to attain the goal—sustainable development. Understanding these two terms is an essential first step for addressing a set of global challenges embodied by sustainability. To that end, the Brundtland Commission, created through the United Nations, published a report in 1987 in which sustainable development is defined as seeking to meet the needs and aspirations of present ...