Sustainability

Sustainability refers to ability to satisfy the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their. This concept emerged gradually over the course of the 20th century and the document that is often cited as a reference point for the definition of sustainability is the report “Our Common Future” published in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, also known as the Brundtland Report.

Two fundamental principles emerge from the definition of sustainability: the precautionary principle and the principle of intergenerational responsibility.

The Precautionary principle requires preventive action even in the absence of definitive scientific evidence of the damage. In this context, the adoption of the precautionary principle involves a prudent approach in managing natural resources and promoting sustainable practices, minimizing potential risks associated with human activities.

The Principle of responsibility intergenerational recognizes that decisions taken today will have a lasting impact on future generations. This principle underlines the importance of considering the long-term effects of current actions, ensuring that natural resources and ecosystems are preserved and protected for future generations.

Sustainability aims to create an integrated and holistic approach between the three social, environmental and economic dimensions:
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1. La economic sustainability is the capacity of an economic system to generate income and work in a lasting way, while ensuring efficient use of resources and equitable and inclusive development. This implies not only maintaining, but also improving people's quality of life through production and consumption practices that do not exhaust resources in the long term.
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2. La social sustainability refers to the ability to maintain and improve the well-being of human communities over time. Among the objectives promoted by social sustainability are the promotion of social justice, health, education, gender equality, democratic participation and the promotion of the inclusion of disadvantaged or marginalized groups.
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3. La environmental sustainability concerns the ability to preserve and improve the health of natural ecosystems in the long term. This type of sustainability focuses on the conservation of biodiversity, the reduction of pollution, the sustainable use of natural resources and the mitigation of climate change.
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These three dimensions reflect the model of the”Triple Bottom Line“introduced by John Elkington in the 90s, who emphasizes the importance of evaluating an organization's performance not only in terms of economic profit, but also of social and environmental impact. The pillar”Profit” is therefore linked to the concept of economic sustainability,”People” is about that societal, while”Planet” the size environmental.