What is Sustainability?
The emergent fields of sustainability studies and sustainability science operate on a basic understanding of this concept. In general, it is recognized that sustainable development promotes human well-being and quality of life while:
- Protecting environmental quality
- Conserving resources
- Meeting human needs at an acceptable financial cost.
In addition, sustainability is understood to have both a time and scale dimension. First, our actions today should not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Second, practices that may or may not be sustainable depend upon the scale we are looking at: household, business, community, nation.
Realistically, sustainability is not a state that is ever finally achieved, but is always a goal to be worked toward. As needs, circumstances, scientific knowledge, and technologies change, so will our understanding of human activities that are or are not sustainable. With respect to campuses, the organization University Leaders for Sustainable Future offers the following:
"Sustainability" implies that the critical activities of a higher education institution are (at a minimum) ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable, and that they will continue to be so for future generations. A truly sustainable college or university would emphasize these concepts in its curriculum and research, preparing students to contribute as working citizens to an environmentally sound and socially just society. The institution would function as a sustainable community, embodying responsible consumption of food and energy, treating its diverse members with respect, and supporting these values in the surrounding community.
The university activities that are therefore considered central to sustainable practices include:
- Education and outreach
- Research
- Planning
- Solid waste management
- Energy use
- Water use
- Transportation
- Indoor air quality
- Landscaping
- Food Service
- New buildings, renovations, and retrofits
- Procurement
