Sustainability – or ‘sustainable living’ – has been defined as the goal of sustainable development. A widely-used and internationally accepted definition of sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland, 1987).

In the UK, the Government offers the following interpretation of sustainable development: “the goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations” (Defra, 2005)

There are other definitions (over 200, in fact), but all embody the concept that in planning for a better quality of life, economic, social and environmental aspects must be considered together, and more attention be paid to the long-term impacts of human activity than in conventional policy development.

Other concepts that are used frequently when discussing sustainable development are defined below:

Sustainable communities operate at different scales, global, national, urban and rural. They are places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, aesthetically pleasing, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.

Sustainable construction this subset of sustainable development refers to the creation, maintenance and operation of infrastructure and buildings that shape communities in a way that sustains the environment, generates long term wealth and enhances the quality of life.

Corporate responsibility is the ethical responsibility of organisations to deliver sustainable development. Essentially it is about how business takes account of its economic social and environmental impacts in the way it operates – maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides. Corporate responsibility encompasses three general policy areas: environmental, social and economic.

Why is sustainable development so important?

Our current approach to development is unsustainable, we are overexploiting resources and creating pollution, changing habitats and driving species to extinction.

Research has highlighted that if everyone in the world lived the way we do in Europe we would need three planets to support us.

Unsustainable development also creates social problems which are exacerbated by the inequalities in health, wealth, education and employment which accompany it.

It is now almost universally accepted that global climate change is a reality and that human emissions of greenhouse gases are a contributory factor. The Stern Review, on the economics of climate change, outlined the costs of inaction in addressing the problem of climate change. It forecast that spending one per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) now on tackling climate change would help preclude a loss of up to 20% global GDP and avoid almost certain global economic disaster. The report also outlined the human cost of massive social upheaval caused by climate change, and the environmental legacy for future generations.