What is Sustainability – an excerpt from Interface, Inc. a model company for sustainable business practices*

Sustainability can be many different things – a motto, an ideal, a way to do business, a
way to live your life or a call to action. The term “sustainability” is often misunderstood
and misused, and not everyone agrees on its definition. In 1997, there were an
estimated 350-plus definitions of “sustainability” and “sustainable development.”
Generally, however, there is a commonly understood idea of sustainability – that is, the
capacity for continuance into the long term. This concept surfaces throughout history,
reflected, for example, in the “seventh generation” philosophy of the Native American
Iroquois Confederacy, which mandated that tribal chiefs always consider the effects of
their actions on descendants seven generations in the future.
The most popular recent definition of sustainability can be traced to a 1987 United
Nations Conference and states that sustainability in the context of development
is: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Report of the Brundtland
Commission, “Our Common Future,” 1987)
Forum for the Future recently defined sustainable development as “a dynamic process
which enables all people to realize their potential and improve their quality of life
in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth’s life support systems.”
*2008 INTERFACE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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