For those getting started with sustainability, there are a lot of frameworks.
These frameworks can be helpful at home, at work, and in our communities.
Starting with sustainability itself, the definition is the ability to maintain or support over time.
Digging in deeper, there are four sustainability frameworks that are often referenced.
Each of those are briefly described below.
The world of sustainability can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming.
Understanding these four areas gets us started on our journey.
4 Pillars of Sustainability
The 4 pillars are Human, Social, Economic, and Environmental. In this framework, we have a goal to reach sustainability in each area. Below is a bit more detail the four pillars:
- Human Sustainability: This involves initiatives in areas like education, health, nutrition, and more to improve the quality of our lives.
- Social Sustainability: While also focused on people, social sustainability works on initiatives that develop society and city infrastructure that benefit the community.
- Economic Sustainability: Organizations, homes, and cities need to be profitable to be sustainable. Without positive funds, the system does not survive.
- Environmental Sustainability: This promotes living and working without harming the environment and society while still achieving economic growth.
Triple Bottom Line (TBL)
The triple bottom line focuses on People, Planet, and Profit.
In this structure, the pillars of human and social sustainability are grouped together under People.
Some also substitute “prosperity” instead of “profit”. My preference is for prosperity as it feels broader than financial and less aligned with greed.
When we think of the triple bottom line in our homes, I often switch out “profit” for “pocketbook” as it feels less business driven. We could also use “prosperity” here as well.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 initiatives developed by the United Nations and agreed to by all world leaders to build a better world by 2030.
The 17 goals can be divided into the three categories of the triple bottom line. You can learn more at the UN website.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
ESG is a framework for a company to evaluate both performance and risk.
This is a narrower view than the Triple Bottom Line approach which is focused on sustainable development.
This approach is a positive complement to the Triple Bottom Line and can help provide baseline measurements to focus on as a company continues their journey.
Your Turn
Were you aware of all the frameworks above?
Which ones have you leveraged at work, home, or in your community?
How can you lean into at least one of these to initiate change.