What Is Environmental Sustainability?

Environmental sustainability is a lifeline for our planet and future generations. At its core, it's about taking responsible actions today to ensure we don't deplete natural resources or harm the climate in ways that make life untenable tomorrow. With climate change advancing and social equity declining, we've reached a tipping point. 

As Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres put it, “Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been.”

To tackle the importance of preserving resources, we have a mandate: Explore, Engage, and Educate Yourself. To help, we have carefully compiled a wealth of resources on sustainability practices, renewable energy, social sustainability, and other vital topics.

Climate change is an ongoing reality, and the need for environmental sustainability has never been more pressing. The melting polar ice caps, raging wildfires, and devastating hurricanes we witness are the symptoms of a planet in distress. These environmental challenges are social and economic catastrophes in the making. 

The urgency here is to actively rejuvenate and sustain the environments we live and work in. The role of industry in this cannot be overstated: Leaders need to look at reimagining business models, innovating processes, and rethinking consumer engagement in a manner that will have a restorative impact on the environment.

Whether it's tech, healthcare, construction, or agriculture, everyone has a role and unique challenges to tackle. It's an interdisciplinary endeavor that requires collective intelligence and action.

The four main pillars of sustainability serve as the backbone for driving positive transformation across different aspects of society. These pillars — environmental, human, economic, and social — are intertwined, each affecting and influencing the others.

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability, as we mentioned, focuses on creating a balance between human activities and natural resources. Think sustainable agriculture, offsetting carbon emissions, and reducing waste. By adopting environmentally friendly practices, we're preserving nature and influencing the other three pillars. Sustainable energy, a subcategory of environmental sustainability, epitomizes this effort.

Sustainable Energy: These are sources that won't run out or deteriorate over time. They meet our energy needs without jeopardizing future generations or damaging the environment. While initial setup costs exist, the raw energy itself is usually free. Wind, solar, and hydropower are prime examples, readily accessible to most people. Geothermal energy, derived from the Earth's internal heat, like geysers, is another viable option. Learn more here.

Human Sustainability

Closely connected to environmental sustainability, human sustainability focuses on the well-being and quality of life for all individuals. It revolves around creating social systems that offer avenues for continued education, healthcare, and opportunity for everyone, thereby elevating the human experience.

Economic Sustainability

Moving on to the next pillar, a robust economy is the engine of any society. Economic sustainability emphasizes creating markets that are not only profitable but are also responsible and focused on long-term viability. Through investments in green technologies and sustainable practices, we're establishing a blueprint for enduring economic growth.

Social Sustainability

Last but not least, social sustainability looks at broader societal concerns like social equity and community development. It aims to build inclusive communities that offer equal opportunities to all, regardless of their background.

We have curated a selection of book chapters and journal articles that showcase the efforts in which academic libraries are responding to the SDGs to create a sustainable future for their patrons. Take a look here.

Keep an eye out for our forthcoming book, The Avocado Debate by Honor May Eldridge, which will expand on the compelling subject of sustainability in globalized food systems. In the meantime — watch an interview with the author here. Don't miss this opportunity to interlink various aspects of sustainability in a modern context.

Striving to be more sustainable is paramount. At Routledge, part of how we do our part is by democratizing access to vital knowledge. You can tap into this wealth of information by exploring our free chapter sampler — a stepping stone to becoming more sustainable yourself.

It offers a curated selection of eight essential chapters from our Environment and Sustainability textbooks. Specially compiled to align with this year's Earth Day theme, 'Invest in Our Planet,' these chapters will equip you with the insights you need to make a meaningful environmental impact on our world.