Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals

Abstract

While acknowledging the need for "sustainability," this paper summarizes the problems that have been encountered in our understanding and use of this concept. It explores the efforts of others to define the concept within the context of specific disciplinary areas and sets forth a proposal for a basic understanding of the term "environmental sustainability" as an expansion of our common perception of the nature of human activity so as to more clearly connect it with the ecological concept of interdependence and to serve as a goal for environmental managers.

Proposal of a Sustainability Index for the Automotive Industry

“…The basic understanding of the term "environmental sustainability", established by Morelli [15], essentially expands our common perception of human activity. This makes the connection more clearly with the ecological concept of interdependence, thus delineating the limits of use of sustainability to match the overlap of human activities with ecosystem functioning support.…”

How to Deliver Open Sustainable Innovation: An Integrated Approach for a Sustainable Marketable Product

“…The integrated approach described in this study fulfills these three dimensions of sustainability by reducing the overall cost (and purchase price), energy consumption, and pollutant emissions [35]. Thus, society benefits from lower priced products with greater accessibility; the economy is enhanced by bringing to market profitable products and facilitating new ventures; and, finally, the environment is safeguarded by lowering energy consumption and pollution [42,66]. More specifically, the integrated approach outlined in this research allows products to be manufactured locally thanks to 3D printers and peer production.…”

“…Therefore, to foster sustainability and to benefit all stakeholders, innovations must be effective in simultaneously benefiting the economy, society, and the environment [39,42]. The integrated approach described in this study fulfills these three dimensions of sustainability by reducing the overall cost (and purchase price), energy consumption, and pollutant emissions [35].…”

Sustainable Horticulture: A bibliometric Study

“…The remaining eight articles (66.66%) assessed sustainability by the lens of the environmental dimension. When dealing with the environmental sustainability dimension, it returns to a condition of equilibrium, resilience and interconnection, which allows society to meet its needs without exceeding the capacity of ecosystems (Morelli, 2011), according to the Bibliographic Portfolio studies described below. 2012), describe that a complete conversion to an organic system may not be necessary to improve biodiversity in agroecosystems.…”