Sustainability is maintaining a resource or system so that it doesn’t degrade. It is considering all economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits of an activity, instead of only one type. A sustainable society includes a healthy environment, social equity and a strong economy.

According to the Brundtland Report, development is sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future to meet its needs.

Another definition of sustainable development is “the design of human and industrial systems to ensure that humankind’s use of natural resources and cycles do not lead to diminished quality of life due either to losses in future economic opportunities or to adverse impacts on social conditions, human health, and the environment.”

Let’s take a look at sustainability from the perspective of the individual, the community, and the greater world. We’ll start with the concept of the ecological footprint.