Sustainability

Although there are many definitions for sustainability, most frequently it is described as the state that results from the process of sustainable development. The most generally accepted definition of sustainable [Page 742]development appeared in the 1987 Brundtland Report, published by the World Commission on Environment and Development, where a sustainable form of development was described as one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Thus, this definition recognizes that development need not be inconsistent with sustainability. The key implications for sustainable development and for the associated state of sustainability are the twin principles of intergenerational and intra-generational equity. Intergenerational equity refers to preserving capital or resources for future generations, and intra-generational equity refers to fair access to capital or resources for current generations. Decision-making that accords with sustainability requirements considers and seeks to balance short-and long-term human, economic, environmental and social needs. Such decision-making should also seek to adopt a precautionary approach—allowing that if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.

Current sustainability areas of local, national and international concern include combating global warming, managing ecological support systems, conserving natural resources (e.g. water, soil, air, species and ecosystem biodiversity), supporting a cyclical economy and ensuring an equitable society in terms of quality of life. The 1992 Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Declaration) in adopting the concepts outlined in the Brundtland Report also embraced the principles of the earlier (1992) Dublin Conference: that ascertaining the divergent human demands with regard to natural resources, and how they change, was as critical to science-based decision-making as an understanding of ecological science. This approach pointed to a role for action research as a tool for engaging stakeholders in complex decision-making. This entry provides a brief explanation of the increasing importance of sustainability to communities and in policy development and organizational decision-making. The entry also discusses some of the key strategies, many based on action research and Action Learning principles, being adopted by institutions and organizations of all types in order to support a more sustainable future.