1 What is Sustainability?

Sustainability has many definitions that vary by discipline and culture. Commonly, we think of achieving sustainability as human development that balances environment, society, and the economy in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Netukulimk is the Mi’kmaw (First Nations, Canada) concept for “the use of the natural bounty provided by the Creator for the self-support and well-being of the individual and the community at large.” In this case, community refers to the interconnectedness of all things—land, animals, water, human beings, plants, customs, laws. For Mi’kmaw, this understanding comes out of wejisqalia’timk, which means literally “we sprouted from the earth” and this speaks to the generations and generations of Mi’kmaw who have lived in Mi’kma’ki^[1].

These definitions are helpful to envision sustainability, but it becomes much more complex when we begin to dig into the details of how to achieve that.

Below are three videos (4-10 minutes) that help explain sustainability using natural science and founded on the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development.  

The videos are from Sustainability Illustrated ^[2]. Additional information and videos on Sustainability Illustrated are available, as are  Sustainability Illustrated Videos in French.