The human desire to live in harmony with nature and one-another was first proposed as an international endeavour in 1987 when sustainability (as sustainable development) was formally defined by the United Nations as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."[1]
Although sustainable development has remained a key global concern, international charters like the United Nations' Millennium Ecosystem Assessment[2], and Millennium Declaration[3] which included the Millennium Development Goals[4] the expression sustainable development is often replaced by the terms sustainability and sustainability science which have broadly the same meaning.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sustainability: If an environment is not sustained then the ecosystem will overtime fall apart. Overusing one part of and ecosystem can cause the ecosystem to eventually fail. when you overuse one part of an ecosystem then it has dramatic results on the whole ecosystem, the biosphere.
Essence of sustainability[edit | edit source]
- Environmentalism
- Environmental ethics
- Sustainable development
- Sustainability science
- Sustainability accounting
- Sustainability governance
- Sustainability education
Branches of sustainability[edit | edit source]
Sustainabiity is divided into two main branches: sustainability science and sustainability governance. Each of these branches is divided into a number of subfields:
Sub-fields of sustainability science[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Sustainability science
- Environmental impact assessment
- Environmental psychology
- Environmental philosophy
- Environmental law
- Sustainability measurement
Sub-fields of sustainability governance[edit | edit source]
- Political
- Economic sector
- Sustainable art
- Sustainable advertising
- Sustainable architecture
- Sustainable business
- Sustainable fashion
- Sustainable industries
- Sustainable landscape architecture
- Sustainable packaging
- Sustainable procurement
- Sustainable tourism
- Sustainable transport
- Organization
- Fisheries management
- Sustainable forest management
- Sustainable city
- Sustainable urban infrastructure
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Sustainable community
- Sustainable Communities Plan
- Sustainability reporting
- Activity
- Sustainable design
- Sustainable living
- Sustainable yield
Related disciplines[edit | edit source]
- Conservation biology
- Ecological humanities
- Environmental biotechnology
- Environmental chemistry
- Environmental design
- Environmental economics
- Environmental engineering
- Environmental ethics
- Environmental history
- Environmental law
- Environmental psychology
- Environmental science
- Environmental sociology
- Green politics
History of sustainability[edit | edit source]
- Main article: History of sustainability
- History of conservation
Biodiversity[edit | edit source]
- Biosecurity
- Endangered species
- Holocene extinction event
- Invasive species
Levels of biological organisation[edit | edit source]
Politics of sustainability[edit | edit source]
- Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
- International reports and agreements
- United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972)
- Brundtlandt Commission Report, 1983
- Earth Summit (1992)
- Agenda 21 (1992)
- Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
- ICPD Programme of Action (1994)
- Earth Charter
- Millennium Declaration (2000)
- Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
- Politics of global warming
- Climate change policy of the United States
- Climate change in China
Population control[edit | edit source]
- Birth control
- Family planning
- Overpopulation
- Unintended pregnancy
- Zero population growth
Environmental technology[edit | edit source]
- Renewable energy
- Bio fuel
- Biomass
- Geothermal power
- Hydroelectricity
- Solar energy
- Tidal power
- Wave power
- Wind power
Energy conservation[edit | edit source]
Over consumption[edit | edit source]
- Anti-consumerism
- Ecological footprint
- Ethical consumerism
- Tragedy of the commons
Food[edit | edit source]
- Food security
- Local food
- Permaculture
- Sustainable agriculture
- Sustainable fisheries
- Urban horticulture
Water[edit | edit source]
- Water footprint
- Water crisis
- Water efficiency
- Water conservation
Materials[edit | edit source]
Scholars of sustainability[edit | edit source]
Leaders in sustainability[edit | edit source]
Category:Sustainability advocates
Sustainability lists[edit | edit source]
- Main article: List of sustainability topics
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20190724135216/https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/42/ares42-187.htm United Nations. 1987. "Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development." General Assembly Resolution 42/187, 11 December 1987.
- ↑ http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx Official Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20190807173251/https://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm United Nations Millennium Declaration
- ↑ http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals The United Nations Millennium Goals (UN Site)
External links[edit | edit source]
- Microdocs: Elements of sustainability
- Roadmap for a Sustainable Earth - on-line book by Hiroshi Komiyama and Steven Kraines
- Learning for sustainability web site
- International Federation of Accountants Sustainability Framework from the International Federation of Accountants