Sustainability means that the current generation can fulfill their needs without stripping the requirements of future generations. A societal goal is to coexist on the planet with different resources safely. People are concerned with the impact of their lives on the planet. The three pillars of sustainability are essential for exploring sustainable development.
It is impossible to maintain the ecosystem without making sustainable choices. The planet will run out of fossil fuels, and animals will face extinction for destructive processes without change. A sustainable society is responsible for focusing on environmental protection and equilibrium between humans and the ecosystem.
Eradicating poverty is one of the complex tasks for societal sustainability. We talk about social, economic, and environmental sustainability when we think of sustainability. With that said, let’s discuss the three pillars of sustainability elaborately in the next section.
What are sustainable pillars?
The three pillars of sustainability are tools for defining sustainable development. There are three parameters of sustainability: people, profit, and place. The Brundtland report of 1987 mentions the three pillars of sustainability- environment, economy, and society. This report has the initiative to resolve the conflict between economic growth and degradation for sustainable development.
Three pillars of sustainability
Social pillar
It refers to public policies, planning, and initiatives to support social issues. It means eradicating poverty, promoting social justice, standard living quality, and supporting education and healthcare facilities, etc. All these factors embrace maintaining the cultural aspects and diversity of society.
Unfortunately, it is one of the least defined and accessible pillars of sustainability. However, social factors help to influence human actions and link the economic and environmental dimensions to sustainable development.
Additionally, let’s discuss some aspects of social sustainability.
Peace, justice, and security
These are essential components of social sustainability because war and crimes waste valuable resources. The oil of military vehicles and uranium contaminates the water supply in the war zones. It destroys the forest cover and environmental resources affecting the bird population. Dumping hazardous waste in the forest or illegal revenue from logs are examples of crimes impacting the environment.
Healthcare
Many health-related issues have an interconnection with the environment and economic aspects. Poor environmental quality impacts well-being and economic growth by reducing resource quality. For example, in agriculture, green technologies are helpful for better health conditions and crop production. This technology is environmentally friendly and helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The purpose of green technology is to improve the planet’s health without harming anyone. Pests, chemicals, and weather changes are a threat to crop yield. However, farmers use technology to detect water contamination or measure nutrients in the soil. Therefore, people stay healthy by consuming crops rich in nutrients.
Heritage and culture
Social sustainability deals with religion, heritage, and cultural preservation. It is one of the ways that help to achieve sustainable development. Recently, Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama came together to fight against ecology destruction and preserve the planet.
Environmental Pillar
The environmental pillars involve rules and laws to evaluate the issues of the environment. The practices of environmental sustainability favour the financial aspect besides helping the planet. It manages the land, freshwater, forest, air, and planet resources.
Today’s organisations are looking for Zero Waste Zones to see waste resources as a new revenue source. It means less plastic packaging in the supply chain and sourcing from recycled materials. Reducing the packaging materials means low production costs, and improved fuel efficiency also favours the company’s budget.
Environment management uses science and conservation biology to allocate resources at all levels. It strives for a sustainable future with land, water, air, and emissions from the factories. This process includes ecosystems and their resilience to absorb human disturbances. Moreover, there are other approaches to managing the human demands on resources. These involve things such-
- Reducing energy consumption:- Migrating towards the usage of renewable resources improves the efficiency of the environment.
- Recycling waste materials:- Recycling landfills and waste material promotes a circular path of sustainability to achieve the benefits.
- Switching to healthy food:- Opting for a balanced and sustainable diet involves fewer animal products.
- Involvement of green technology:- Upgrading the infrastructure increases efficiency in agriculture. Green technologies manage the demand and educate people to use limited resources judiciously.
- Reducing carbon emissions:- Use extensive renewable resources and upgrade technologies to lower carbon contents in the atmosphere.
Economic pillar
Economic sustainability is crucial for business companies- A company is economically viable to achieve sustainable development. It looks at profitability following the company’s strategy and guidelines. The inclusion of economic pillars and profit enables corporations to come up with sustainability strategies.
Unfortunately, the resource limitation does not cater to the needs of human activities and causes destruction. It is one of the problems in achieving economic sustainability. There will be no economic growth in the country if we deplete natural resources.
The capitalist system has the free market to compete with the western nations. However, it does not count the limitations of the planet. We can use governmental regulations to undo the damages. It includes taxation and imposing a penalty on unethical practices with environmental resources.
Moreover, we can decouple economic growth from environmental destruction. It means there will be no direct impact on GDP and biodiversity challenges. It takes long-term views and plans to leverage technologies globally.
Bottom line
The three pillars of sustainability are crucial to understanding sustainable development and becoming role models for business companies. The current linear model of production and consumption is unsustainable, and we are heading towards a mass extinction event unless we make drastic changes to our current way of life. Thankfully, advances in technology and culture are helping us in how we produce, consume, and dispose of resources.
Seederscapital is a company with a sustainable aim for commercial, residential, and agricultural sectors. It ensures resource recycling to meet the demand of the population. It allows one’s waste to be another’s resource and creates an efficient supply chain.
