Why sustainability is not only environmental, but also economic and social

We call for it loudly when talking about climate problems and environmental needs, but we rarely ask ourselves what sustainability really means. Although it is, in fact, a term that encompasses a multitude of meanings, reflections, and parameters, it is not a vague or difficult-to-define concept. Sustainability is a way of living – both the private life of every citizen and the social life of entire nations – designed to make a healthy environment and a high quality of life accessible to everyone. Because sustainability is not just about the environment, but is also very much about economic and social development.

1. The history of sustainability
2. What sustainability is
3. How to live a sustainable life

The history of sustainability

In the early 1970s, the need to pursue environmentally friendly economic growth began to gain traction in society. At the time, it became clear that the development model used up to that point was not sustainable, because in the long run it would cause the collapse of the Earth's ecosystem. This was one of the first and most fundamental insights into the concept of sustainability: if growth means polluting excessively, sooner or later we will no longer have a place to live and develop. In short, it became clear that the Earth was a finite resource, that it could not be exploited without limits, and that it had to be respected.

When talking about the environment and climate change, the most important aspect, the one present in every type of discussion, is the time factor and, in particular, the idea of the future. Sustainability, in fact, is not just about the present, but about actions aimed at development, growth, and evolution, concepts intrinsic to human nature that have clashed with pollution in a major contradiction. When development, and therefore the pursuit of a better future, began to compromise the future itself due to climate change, the flaws of the system came to light.

Consider, for example, all the consequences of today's climate change: they were caused by older generations, the children of the economic boom, and yet they will fall upon younger generations. This is precisely why the very definition of sustainable development focuses on the need to live well today without compromising the well-being of tomorrow. After countless attempts to define it, the universally recognized meaning of sustainability dates back to 1987 and the so-called Brundtland Report, which defined it as the condition that allows development that "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own". In short, the idea was beginning to emerge that sustainability was not just about the environment, but generally about the well-being of the inhabitants of the Earth. An idea that has evolved to arrive at the contemporary definition of sustainability.

What sustainability is

Sustainability is a three-dimensional concept. The 2005 World Summit on Sustainable Development identified three equally important levels in the definition of sustainable development: economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. These are three fundamental aspects not only to ensure the survival of the planet, but also that of all its inhabitants, who must be guaranteed high levels of well-being.

The three pillars of sustainability are interconnected. Social development and environmental protection, combined, make it possible to create a livable environment; social and economic development ensure a fair system; economic development combined with environmental protection makes the goals achievable. But only a combination of these three pillars guarantees sustainability.

When talking about sustainability today, therefore, we are not only discussing the health of the environment, but we must also necessarily consider all other aspects. For example, buying eco-friendly products that do not harm the environment, but whose production has harmed the local population or relied on exploited workers, is not sustainable, because environmental protection has not been combined with social well-being.

Based precisely on these principles, in 2015 the UN General Assembly adopted a program of action for the prosperity of the planet and its people. It is called the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it includes 17 absolutely necessary targets for achieving truly sustainable development. They include all three pillars of sustainability, so they are not just about the environment, but also economic independence, access to education, the eradication of poverty and hunger, and many other aspects of social sustainability.

How to live a sustainable life

We have always limited ourselves to considering sustainability as the necessary condition to avoid harming the environment through our actions, consumption, and purchasing choices. But we must think not only about the well-being of the environment, but also about that of society as a whole. Development, progress, and our outlook on the future not only cannot ignore attention to the environment and climate issues, but must also necessarily include social sustainability, making access to well-being possible for everyone.

In addition to the actions we already try to put into practice every day to combat global warming, we should learn to make sustainable choices from every point of view. Whether it comes to consumption, what we eat, or the services we use, our purchasing choices must be increasingly oriented toward the sustainability of the system that produced them, from environmental to economic and social.