Lately the word sustainability has been used a lot, but do we know what sustainability is exactly? To make this concept clear to us and put it into practice, today we have prepared this guide where we explain everything.
Sustainability is the fact of developing a current need, of this moment, without compromising the ability of future generations to develop their own needs. A balance must be guaranteed between the cure of the environment, economic growth and social welfare. This gives rise to three different subtypes.
It is all very well to want to develop and move forward, but we must always think about other people and the future we leave them so that they have the same opportunities. This is how this concept is born, so that the resources we have are not exhausted, protecting nature and making it easier for everyone to have access to the same opportunities.
The different types of sustainability
At the economic level: on the one hand, the aim is for economic growth to generate equitable wealth that does not harm the Earth’s resources, and for economic resources to be invested and distributed equally so that sustainable development is complete. In other words, it wants other forms of sustainability to be profitable and fair.
There are several macroeconomic indicators that allow us to know if companies, apart from being profitable, are sustainable. For example, the percentage of sustainable transport or renewable energy. If we were to take these indicators into account instead of GDP, we would be able to know how much of economic growth affects society and the environment.
Environmental: it seeks to ensure that natural resources are used rationally and that the environment is protected, since it does not possess inexhaustible resources. It also encourages the substitution of traditional energies by renewable energies because they are better for the environment. This also includes saving water, using sustainable transportation and innovating in construction and architecture so that houses and buildings are built that allow for sustainable development. In order for all these actions to be carried out, first we all have to be globally aware.
Social sustainability: its main objective is that there is a balance between the population and its sustainability. With this in mind, it encourages people, communities and cultures to develop so that everyone has a good quality of life, better health and education, always in an equitable manner. It also fights for gender equality, especially in developing countries.
Once established what sustainable development is, the United Nations established a series of Sustainable Development Goals (or Global Goals). This was done to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to develop without compromising the sustainability of the planet. There are 17 in total, we all can, and must, get involved to achieve them.
To do this, there are a number of actions we can implement to contribute to such development.
What can we do for sustainable development?
Living in a sustainable house, which is oriented in such a way to make the most of the hours of the sun. That uses renewable energies, that is correctly isolated so as not to lose heat or to enter cold. In this way, not only will we be able to save energy, but we will also reduce the pollution we produce.
We can also buy from companies that are committed to the environment. Companies that produce in a sustainable way, polluting as little as possible and that pay their employees what they deserve.
Another way is by lowering the temperature of our home heating. Keeping it around 19 and 20 degrees is enough to keep the heat and is a way to avoid wasting energy and money.