Sustainability is a broad concept giving learners and researchers an understanding of most aspects of the human world. It can be described as the study of how natural systems operate, retain their diversity, and produce everything required for the ecology to remain balanced (Moore et al., 2017). It has three significant pillars: economic development, social enhancement, and environmental protection (Moore et al., 2017). In general, sustainability is an essential topic in the contemporary world that constantly gains more and more attention. This paper explores some of the core aspects of sustainability.
Generally, there are several distinctions between corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and ethics. The concept of CSR is focused on past events and distinguishes what a specific organization did to contribute to the good of the society it operates in, for instance, to make a positive change for the environment. At the same time, sustainability seems to be more future-oriented and strategic. Moreover, CSR endeavors’ main driving force is to safeguard the brand image of a corporation, whereas sustainability is predominantly concerned with creating new opportunities for developing markets (Ives et al., 2018). However, while these two concepts may be different, they contribute to the overall well-being of the environment.
There are several differences between CSR initiatives and business ethics. For example, corporations may be committed to being socially responsible for their decisions and undertakings, but they still engage in unethical acts (Moore et al., 2017). Furthermore, both business ethics and sustainability have different dimensions in their objectives. For example, while ethics allow organizations to address issues associated with child labor and sweatshops, sustainability focuses on the effects of production processes on the environment (Ives et al., 2018). Both of these components of the business are essential for the well-being of society at large.
Sustainability has several definitions apart from the one mentioned above. It can also be described as a process that creates a lively economy and a high quality of well-being while considering the need to manage natural resources and protect the surrounding (Moore et al., 2017). There are several ways in which corporations can communicate their sustainability initiatives. For example, businesses can encourage the employees to take alternatives, such as green transport rather than flying. They can also limit the need for traveling by hosting video conferences. Moreover, if talking about clothing brands and fast fashion companies, they can choose to be sustainable by using recycled materials and allowing customers to return clothes after a certain period of time.
Inconsistent language of sustainability may come with several impacts on society. For example, it may result in mismanagement of biodiversity while also undermining stewardship, leading to exploitative hunting (Moore et al., 2017). Generally, several acronyms in sustainability lead to confusion as the target audience may not fully comprehend them. Some professionals support the process of ditching sustainability due to several reasons. It is because severe economic pressure undermines sustainable processes rendering social responsibility dispensable (Moore et al., 2017). However, this act is totally not justifiable. The main reason for that is that moving towards sustainability is the first step toward creating a better life for contemporary individuals and future generations even though sustainability might bring negative consequences like any other change in the world, it is much more important to save the environment and save the world’s climate.
In conclusion, this paper has explored some of the aspects which constitute sustainability. It is viewed as a significant factor in the modern world undermined by several processes that contribute to depleting the ozone layer and the degradation of the environment. Researchers should consider the various proposals by professionals advocating for ditching sustainability. The former remains a vital aspect of developing social, economic, human, and environmental landscapes. In essence, human civilization should consider various efforts to promote the four significant pillars of sustainability.
References
Ives, C. D. et al. (2018) ‘Reconnecting with nature for sustainability’,Sustainability Science, 13(5), pp. 1389-1397. Web.
Moore, J. E. et al. (2017) ‘Developing a comprehensive definition of sustainability’,Implementation Science, 12(110), pp. 1-8. Web.