Pearls & Sustainability

What is sustainability?

A widely cited sustainability definition is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). This definition traces back to Our Common Future, a 1987 report prepared by the Brundtland Commission also known as World Commission on Environment and Development. This report goes onto define three sustainability pillars: economic, ecologic and equity. However, it is important to note that the larger community has not reached sustainability definition consensus.

Another approach has been the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) which was introduced in 1994 by John Elkington. This is made up of 3Ps: Profit, People and Planet.