Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time. The Oxford dictionary gives the following definition to sustainability: “the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment.”[1] In business and policy contexts, sustainability seeks to prevent the depletion of natural or physical resources, so that they will remain available for the long term.
Simply said, sustainability is the act of using products in a way that it is not harmful or endangering. Since the idea of sustainability is cover in itself many aspects, it is often broken down into three pillars: economic, environmental, and social—also known informally as profits, planet, and people.[2] Sustainability is often comprised by three pillars – economic viability, environmental protection and social equity. These pillars are also known as profit, planet and people, or the three Ps.
The first pillar, or the concept of “economic sustainability” focuses on conserving the natural resources that provide physical inputs for economic production, including both renewable and exhaustible inputs. The second pillar, the “environmental sustainability” adds greater emphasis on the life support systems, such as the atmosphere or soil, that must be maintained for economic production or human life to even occur. In contrast, the third pillar, the “social sustainability” focuses on the human effects of economic systems, and the category includes attempts to eradicate poverty and hunger, as well as to combat inequality.
In this module, the learners will have the opportunity to understand what sustainability is and look in detailed at its three pillars in order to better understand them. They will explore the motivations behind sustainability and begin to see it as a value, shared by many individuals and organizations, who demonstrate this value in their policies, everyday activities and behaviours.
In additions the learners will explore additional reading materials on each of the lessons, covered in the module and receive practical suggestions on how they can act now in order to contribute for the greener future in their communities and cities.
