3. Pillars of sustainability

Sustainability affects all aspects of our life.

The three main pillars where we can focus to create a bigger impact are : Environmental Protection, Social Equity and Economic Viability.

Environmental Protection

The environmental pillar is the most discussed element in sustainability. It highlights that the environment does not contain inexhaustible resources. Therefore, it must be protected and rationally used. The main component of environmental protection are as follow:

• Saving natural resources
• Switching to renewable energy sources
• Reduction in carbon footprint
• Innovation in Industry practices
• Sustainable living

Social Development

The social pillar of sustainability promotes social development and social responsibility to improve quality of life, healthcare, safety, education and equality. The following components are included in the social sustainability:

• Fair employee practices
• Code of conduct
• Employee benefits
• Social responsibility
• Social Impacts
• Gender equality

Economic Viability

Economic development can be simply defined as ‘a business which is profitable and sustainable’. The main challenge with this pillar is to ensure economic growth without degrading the other elements of sustainability i.e. Social and Environmental.
The triple bottom line is a business concept that suggests that the companies should measure their social and environmental impacts in addition to their financial performance. The financial performance typically focuses on revenue and profits which is the standard “bottom line“. The triple bottom line comprises the three Ps i.e., People, Profit and Planet.

Additional Information

• Read Our Common Future, Brundtland Report 1987
• To know about the history of SDG and the implementation program since 2016
• Read the about Sustainable Development Goal Report 2022
• Want to enroll in a SDG course for further understand | Coursera