Sustainability
[20] Some experts have pointed out that "no country is delivering what its citizens need without transgressing the biophysical planetary boundaries".
[30][31] The concept of sustainability, or Nachhaltigkeit in German, goes back to Hans Carl von Carlowitz (1645–1714), and applied to forestry.
In his 1713 work Silvicultura oeconomica,[33] he wrote that "the highest art/science/industriousness [...] will consist in such a conservation and replanting of timber that there can be a continuous, ongoing and sustainable use".
[1] The popular three intersecting circles, or Venn diagram, representing sustainability first appeared in a 1987 article by the economist Edward Barbier.
[...] We came to see that a new development path was required, one that sustained human progress not just in a few pieces for a few years, but for the entire planet into the distant future.
Thus 'sustainable development' becomes a goal not just for the 'developing' nations, but for industrial ones as well.The Rio Declaration from 1992 is seen as "the foundational instrument in the move towards sustainability".
The plan, Agenda 21, talks about economic, social, and environmental dimensions:[40]: 8.6 Countries could develop systems for monitoring and evaluation of progress towards achieving sustainable development by adopting indicators that measure changes across economic, social and environmental dimensions.Agenda 2030 from 2015 also viewed sustainability in this way.
[53][54][55] Others focus more on the trade-offs between environmental conservation and achieving welfare goals for basic needs (food, water, health, and shelter).
That is why Sustainable Development Goal 8 calls for economic growth to drive social progress and well-being.
[10]: 8 In other words, humanity will have to find ways how societal progress (potentially by economic development) can be reached without excess strain on the environment.
[59][60][61] One definition states that a society is sustainable in social terms if people do not face structural obstacles in key areas.
[67]: 11 A society with a high degree of social sustainability would lead to livable communities with a good quality of life (being fair, diverse, connected and democratic).
[77]: 8 Three large economic sectors are highly dependent on nature: construction, agriculture, and food and beverages.
These are biogeochemical (nitrogen and phosphorus), ocean acidification, land use, freshwater, ozone depletion, atmospheric aerosols, and chemical pollution.
[96]: 86 While no consensus definition exists, sustainability transformation (or transition) can be understood as “a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values”.
It needs to occur at scales ranging from households and communities to states and regional and global governance institutions.
[97] There are long-standing debates in research and policy about whether democratic practices are capable of fostering timely, large-scale transformations towards sustainability.
[44]: 15 These new values would emphasize "the quality of life and material sufficiency, human solidarity and global equity, and affinity with nature and environmental sustainability".
[89] Scientists have pointed out that: "Sustainability transitions come about in diverse ways, and all require civil-society pressure and evidence-based advocacy, political leadership, and a solid understanding of policy instruments, markets, and other drivers.
[21]: 107 In 2024 an interdisciplinary group of experts including Chip Fletcher, William J. Ripple, Phoebe Barnard, Kamanamaikalani Beamer, Christopher Field, David Karl, David King, Michael E. Mann and Naomi Oreskes advocated for a paradigm shift toward genuine sustainability and resource regeneration.
They said that "such a transformation is imperative to reverse the tide of biodiversity loss due to overconsumption and to reinstate the security of food and water supplies, which are foundational for the survival of global populations.
Others are promoting new green technologies, and adopting renewable energy sources while phasing out subsidies to fossil fuels.
It proposed steps in three areas:[51] In 2015, the United Nations agreed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
[41]: 3/35 The UN said: "We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path.
These are rising energy expenditure, rebound effects, problem shifting, the underestimated impact of services, the limited potential of recycling, insufficient and inappropriate technological change, and cost-shifting.
[5]: 117 Based on Ostrom's work, some have argued that: "Common-pool resources today are overcultivated because the different agents do not know each other and cannot directly communicate with one another.
Institutions facing such criticism include the WTO, IMF, World Bank, UNFCCC, G7, G8 and OECD.
It considers how they move from raw materials sourcing to production, storage, and delivery, and every transportation link on the way.
This is because it means that "the basic goal of sustainability (maintaining or improving desirable conditions [...]) can be pursued with more flexibility".
[122] Ecolabelling is a voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labelling for food and consumer products.
