Sustainability

Excerpt

Sustainability has become an important notion in healthcare and bioethics. It is not a new concept. It was advanced in global discourse in 1987, when the World Commission on Environment and Development famously defined it as meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987, 16). The report of the Commission identifies three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, economic development, and social equity. More recently, it has been argued that culture is a fourth pillar (Weaver 2016). The concept of sustainability is related to other concepts such as conservation and resilience. Environmental sustainability for example indicates protection and preservation of natural resources. It also includes resilience as the capacity to endure stress while maintaining functioning and to adapt to changing circumstances. Sustainability is furthermore related to the concept of stewardship. …