Developed by Michelle Chow, PhD, at the Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation in conjunction with
the Institute for Children's Environmental Health

What Is Meant by “Sustainability”?

The notion of sustainability is, in essence, living with minimal impact on the environment and
natural resources, with a view to maintaining environmental and natural systems for future use
and enjoyment. Human activities have resulted in long-lasting damage to air, water and land
environments, depletion in natural resources and loss of ecological biodiversity.1 With everincreasing
global population size, urbanization and consumer demands for both basic needs and
modern conveniences, there is an urgent need to reconsider the ways in which human needs are
met. A commonly quoted definition, based on the 1987 Brundtland Report arising from United
Nations commission, describes sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.