What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see or hear the word ‘sustainability’?

There isn’t a correct answer, or rather, there are multiple one correct answers so don’t be to harsh on yourself!

Asking myself the same question, I, in all honesty, do not know how to come up with one answer as my mind is bombarded with all the different aspects of what is sustainability and how to be sustainable… In 1987, the United Nations (UN) Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. For approximately 30 years to this day, this definition allowed almost 140 nations to navigate meeting their development goals in a ‘sustainable’ manner. However, the rapidly increasing threat of global climate change in recent years suggested the insufficiency of this definition as a sole guideline, and urged for more stringent sustainable development guidelines with a long-term vision. In this regard, I reckon another or an addition to the 1987 UN definition for sustainability shall be to protect the capacity for nature and human civilizations to co-exist consistently in order to end resource depletion and maintain ecological balance for our future generations. It is time that we as human beings remind ourselves that we are a mere part of the mother nature, and we must protect it to protect our own well-being. On another note, I’m also aware that it is important that the idea of sustainability is holistic and includes not only environmental, but also economical, social, cultural and security matters. In 2015, all UN Member States adapted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that is rooted to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are structured around five categories, known as the 5Ps – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. As my knowledge of the details of each SDG is limited, please do visit the UN SDG website for more information!

Today, we are at a pivotal moment of shifting our ways of doing everything from the traditional ways to the new sustainable way – in fact, we have been procrastinating such shift, so much so that achieving sustainability in any type of modern developments still remains challenging as it often requires the will and support from governments, powerful stakeholders and, most importantly, the general public to do things differently as well as potentially stepping out of their comfort zones. Fortunately, with modern technology, education, and growing awareness for holistic sustainability, there are now local governments that encourage and reinforce sustainable businesses developments and accessible infrastructures to allow sustainable lifestyles – such as practicing reduce, repair, reuse and recycle or choosing low carbon footprint products and transportations – that you and I can incorporate into our daily lives to make a positive difference! Nevertheless, we still have a long way to go in a very short amount of time in order to save ourselves and our future generations from becoming victims of unsustainability.

So, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see or hear the word ‘sustainability’? Do you incorporate sustainable practices or products in your daily life? If you are in the academia, what are something that you have learnt with regards to sustainability that you would like the world to know? Leave a comment below and share your ideas with me and the readers of this post!