{"id":868901,"date":"2022-11-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-04T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenqueen.com.hk\/?p=63692"},"modified":"2023-02-08T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T17:00:00","slug":"what-is-sustainability-and-why-does-it-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/11\/04\/what-is-sustainability-and-why-does-it-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Sustainability? And Why Does It Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"what<\/div><\/span> 4<\/span> Mins Read<\/span><\/span>\n

Meaningless buzzword or key survival concept? \u201cSustainability\u201d is more important than ever before \u2013 but what does it even mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, googling \u201csustainability\u201d turns up over 1.65 billion results. We have become so obsessed with this concept that \u201csustainability\u201d has quickly become a trendy, meaningless buzzword: businesses love to advertise their sustainable practices, while climate activists insist that people practice sustainable lifestyles. But, what does \u201csustainability\u201d really mean? And, how can we understand this word in a way that promotes the well-being of ourselves, our communities, and our planet?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Source: What If? 2 <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What is sustainability?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although usage of the word has increased in recent years, the concept of sustainability is actually not new. Its origins stem from the 1983 Brundtland commission<\/a>, which first defined sustainable development as \u201cdevelopment that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the definition of sustainability still highlights the need to create a liveable world for future generations. According to McGill University<\/a>, sustainability entails \u201cmeeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.\u201d Similarly, the Center for Biological Diversity<\/a> claims that sustainability is about \u201ccreating a livable future for everyone on the earth.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In shaping this future, sustainability is most often understood in an environmental context. Environmental sustainability includes making sure that human consumption does not deplete natural resources, ecological systems stay in balance, and life on earth remains diverse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, sustainability is also tied to economic and social issues. Economic sustainability includes ensuring that communities can maintain independence, access resources they need, and secure sources of livelihood, while social sustainability includes protecting universal human rights and necessities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is sustainability in business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s world, sustainability has increasingly become incorporated into business campaigns and strategies. But, once again, what does sustainability in business really<\/em> mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a business, sustainability means operating without negatively impacting the external environment, community, or society. A sustainable business strategy is one that tries to create a positive impact on one or multiple of these groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, a sustainable business strategy can take many different forms and is unique to each organization. Companies can transition to using sustainable materials for their packing, optimize their supply chains to reduce environmental emissions, and even sponsor programming to benefit the local community. Overall, issues that sustainable business strategies can address include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n