Sustainability is the balance between the environment, equity, and economy
The most often quoted definition comes from the UN World Commission on Environment and Development: “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
In the charter for the UCLA Sustainability Committee, sustainability is defined as: “the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come. The practice of sustainability recognizes how these issues are interconnected and requires a systems approach and an acknowledgement of complexity.”
Sustainable practices support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. Sustainability presumes that resources are finite, and should be used conservatively and wisely with a view to long-term priorities and consequences of the ways in which resources are used. In simplest terms, sustainability is about our children and our grandchildren, and the world we will leave them.
Some other definitions of sustainability:
- Definition from the Environmental Protection Agency
- Resources defining sustainable agriculture from the US Department of Agriculture
- Post from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education regarding defining sustainability in the curriculum
If you are interested in more information, UCLA offers continuing education in sustainability, the UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate Program.