Why social and environmental sustainability?

We believe our world is in urgent need for solutions that ensure the long-term sustainability of both social and environmental systems. For that, we need to go beyond ecological sustainability to improve the capacity of societies to ensure their survival by being able to meet their needs and adapt to changing conditions. To do that, research suggests we have to develop societies’ diversity, common meaning, trust, capacity for learning and capacity for self-organization.

Following the United Nations’ argument, this goes beyond findings ways to “do no harm” to finding ways “to do good”. Behavioural change based on collective and cultural agency, as well as on sustainable business models that have a social impact, can go a long way to create the necessary changes.

To learn more, visit the United Nations’ Framework for Social and Environmental Sustainability and this academic paper developing the dimensions of social sustainability.