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Methods of defining 'sustainability'

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  • Andrew D. Basiago

    (Department of Land Economy University of Cambridge 19 Silver Street Cambridge CB3 9EP, UK)

Abstract

The notion of 'sustainability' emerged in The Ecologist's A Blueprint for Survival, in 1972. The quest to make modern civilization 'sustainable' inspired the UN's Stockholm Conference in 1972 and the 'global trusteeship' of subsequent international environmental treaties. 'Sustainability' is related to 'futurity', hence the Brundtland Commission in 1987 defined sustainable development as 'development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. 'Sustainability' animates 'the precautionary principle', affirmed by the European Union (EU) in 1990 in its Bergen Declaration on Sustainable Development, which requires ecological preservation in cases of scientific uncertainty where serious or irreversible damage is threatened. The Earth Summit in 1992 established 'sustainable development' as the most important policy of the 21st century. 'Sustainability' is at the heart of The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21, accords signed at the Earth Summit that herald a new paradigm of society, economics and the environment. The EU's Fifth Environmental Action Programme (1993) pursues 'sustainability' in industry, energy, transport, agriculture and tourism. 'Sustainability' has also been endorsed by the Clinton Administration (1994). In the light of these events, 'sustainability' is now used widely in biology, economics, sociology, urban planning, ethics and other domains. It is regarded as tantamount to a new philosophy, in which principles of futurity, equity, global environmentalism and biodiversity must guide decision-making. Far from being a mere doctrine of development science, 'sustainability' has emerged as a universal methodology for evaluating whether human options will yield social and environmental vitality.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew D. Basiago, 1995. "Methods of defining 'sustainability'," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 3(3), pages 109-119.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:3:y:1995:i:3:p:109-119
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3460030302
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
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    Cited by:

    1. Claire Woods & Roger Urwin, 2010. "Putting Sustainable Investing into Practice: A Governance Framework for Pension Funds," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 92(1), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Shenghan Li & Huanyu Wu & Zhikun Ding, 2018. "Identifying Sustainable Wood Sources for the Construction Industry: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Yousif Munadhil Ibrahim & Norsiah Hami & Siti Norezam Othman, 2019. "Integrating Sustainable Maintenance into Sustainable Manufacturing Practices and its Relationship with Sustainability Performance: A Conceptual Framework," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(4), pages 30-39.
    4. Benedict Sheehy, 2015. "Defining CSR: Problems and Solutions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 625-648, October.
    5. Sarah J. Tayouga & Sara A. Gagné, 2016. "The Socio-Ecological Factors that Influence the Adoption of Green Infrastructure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Anna Maltseva, 2016. "System of dynamic norms as a basis for sustainable development management of territories of innovative development," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 6(1), pages 1-27, December.
    7. A. D. Basiago, 1998. "Economic, social, and environmental sustainability in development theory and urban planning practice," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 145-161, June.
    8. Kirsten S. Wiebe & Vibeke S. Norstebø & Fabian R. Aponte & Moana S. Simas & Tina Andersen & Gerardo A. Perez-Valdes, 2023. "Circular Economy and the triple bottom line in Norway," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-33, March.
    9. Robert Grover & Stephen Emmitt & Alexander Copping, 2020. "Trends in sustainable architectural design in the United Kingdom: A Delphi study," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 880-896, July.
    10. James Keirstead & Matt Leach, 2008. "Bridging the gaps between theory and practice: a service niche approach to urban sustainability indicators," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(5), pages 329-340.

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