We explain what sustainability is and its economic, social and ecological axes. Furthermore, the principles of a sustainable society.
What is sustainability?
Currently, we speak of sustainability or sustainability to refer to the capacity of a system or a production model to satisfy three axes fundamental critics:
- economic axis: It implies its profitability.
- social axis: Aim for equity.
- ecological axis: That is, not ruining the environment in the process.
The search for a sustainable society model, then, means that we try to build one that meets these three requirements, so that it can last and persevere indefinitely
The concept of sustainability was taken from ecology, where it is used to describe the relationships that a species is capable of weaving with its environment, to guarantee a prolonged existence through balance. Said in economic terms, it is a dynamic of resource exploitation that remains below the limit of its renewal.
The latter is vital for human societies, whose demand for resources is, according to certain traditional economic postulates, infinite. There will always be a need for more and new resources to maintain a productive society.
However, depending on the way in which these resources are obtained, it is possible to destroy our own society in the process, or destroy the environment and be left with no planet to live on (and no resources to exploit), or we can build an insufficient model that does not allow us to live as we wish.
These last three cases are unsustainable scenarios, that is, they cannot last over time, since they inevitably lead to crisis and the end of the model itself.
Therefore, sustainability consists of moving in the opposite direction in the three fields, as proposed, in terms of an urgent need, by the Brundtland Report of 1987, the work of former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland (1939- ), under the title “Our common future” (“Our Common Future” in English).
See also: Sustainable development
Sustainability or sustainability?
Both terms are valid when referring to the same thing. The two words are listed by the Royal Spanish Academy as synonyms, since they refer, broadly speaking, to the same thing: the possibility of something lasting over time, or providing itself with the elements it needs to do so.
Economic sustainability
When we talk about economic sustainability, we refer to the possibility of a system of generating sufficient and equitable wealth to guarantee a model of life that satisfies minimum human needs without sacrificing future generations in the process, and that at the same time allows production and consumption to be strengthened.
Social sustainability
For its part, social sustainability refers to the possibility of a system of promoting a society of positive, equitable and conscious values that is, with a good standard of living (beyond the economic): access to culture, human development, training and the expression of one's talents and ideas, and at the same time reproducing in future generations the values, precisely, of sustainability.
Environmental sustainability
In this case, sustainability refers to the responsibility of every human system towards the environment and nature, that is, to the promotion of a model that coexists harmoniously and efficiently with the planet and that does not sacrifice its biological and geological wealth to satisfy temporary human ambitions.
A sustainable society must necessarily be ecological, since ending the planet we live on, although it may not seem necessary to remember it, is not an option.
Principles of a sustainable society
A sustainable society, that is, a society whose model is capable of ensuring itself and its continuity over time, while satisfying the three fundamental axes of which we have already spoken, must also necessarily comply with these four principles. basics:
- It must promote a peaceful culture and social justice. Since war and conflict inevitably lead to instability, destruction and waste of resources, a sustainable society must invest in the protection of life and cultural heritage, the maximization of education at all levels, political dialogue and social, and equal opportunities between people.
- You must use your resources wisely. The constant contradictions between economic development and environmental preservation within industrial society are a challenge to be resolved for a sustainable society. This will likely require more responsible management of available resources, a healthier and more conscious consumption model, and a commitment to limiting the human footprint on the environment, so that future generations do not receive a ruined world.
- It must guarantee the satisfaction of basic human needs. This is a point that cannot be left aside in any sustainable society, given that inequality, poverty, the marginalization of entire sectors of the population and other similar social evils inevitably lead to sociocultural deterioration and class hatred, violence and economic asymmetry. An impoverished and deprived society, whose individuals compete violently with each other for resources, will hardly dedicate great efforts to the preservation of the environment, for example.
- It must be attached to a fair and democratic system. Political, social and cultural freedoms are an inalienable intangible asset of humanity, and in that sense no dictatorship or tyranny could aspire to be sustainable. Democracy, in its multiple forms, as well as a healthy and participatory civil society, and a robust set of institutions, are guarantors of social peace and allow different social sectors to cooperate with each other, instead of competing, or taking advantage of each other. mutually counterbalancing.
Continue with: Responsible consumption
References
- “Sustainability” on Wikipedia.
- “Sustainable” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Sustainable” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “What is sustainability?” (video) in Government of the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina).
- “The modern concept of sustainability” at Universidad Abierta Interamericana.
- “Principles of a sustainable society” in the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Mexico.
