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Origins of the Sustainability Concept and Its Application to the Construction Sector in the EU

Author

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  • Teresa Diaz Gonçalves

    (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Av. do Brasil 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • José Saporiti Machado

    (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Av. do Brasil 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

Sustainability aims to integrate environmental and social considerations into decision-making, alongside purely economic factors, in a balanced manner. Here, a concise critical review of policy instruments concerning the definition and implementation of this concept is presented. The sources were selected as the most relevant to capturing the origins and evolution of the idea of sustainability from the 1960s to the present day. The analysis narrows down to the construction sector within the European Union (EU), of which the perspective guides the work. As it emerges, the historical path led to the materialization of the sustainability concept into the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite interpretative discussions around the concept, these SDGs became the relevant sustainability model for sectors like construction. Its application to practice, however, faces three major challenges that must be acknowledged and addressed to allow defining robust and genuinely sustainable decision-making strategies: greenwashing, commodification, and “cherry picking”.

Suggested Citation

  • Teresa Diaz Gonçalves & José Saporiti Machado, 2023. "Origins of the Sustainability Concept and Its Application to the Construction Sector in the EU," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:18:p:13775-:d:1240709
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Johnsson, Filip & Karlsson, Ida & Rootzén, Johan & Ahlbäck, Anders & Gustavsson, Mathias, 2020. "The framing of a sustainable development goals assessment in decarbonizing the construction industry – Avoiding “Greenwashing”," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Florentina Madalina Perevoznic & Voicu D. Dragomir, 2024. "Achieving the 2030 Agenda: Mapping the Landscape of Corporate Sustainability Goals and Policies in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-54, April.

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