Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Environmental Sustainability - A Definition For Environmental Professionals
Environmental Sustainability - A Definition For Environmental Professionals
Environmental Sustainability - A Definition For Environmental Professionals
Volume 1 Article 2
Issue 1 (2011)
2011
Recommended Citation
Morelli, John (2011) "Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals," Journal
of Environmental Sustainability: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 2.
DOI: 10.14448/jes.01.0002
Available at: https://repository.rit.edu/jes/vol1/iss1/2
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the RIT Libraries. For more information, please contact
repository@rit.edu.
Environmental Sustainability:
A Definition for Environmental Professionals
John Morelli
Rochester Institute of Technology
john.morelli@rit.edu
ABSTRACT: While acknowledging the need for “sustainability,” this paper summarizes the
problems that have been encountered in our understanding and use of this concept. It explores the
efforts of others to define the concept within the context of specific disciplinary areas and sets forth
a proposal for a basic understanding of the term “environmental sustainability” as an expansion of
our common perception of the nature of human activity so as to more clearly connect it with the
ecological concept of interdependence and to serve as a goal for environmental managers.
1
by the Guides. Number one on that list is the II. DEFINING SUSTAINABILITY
term “sustainable.” The reasons provided for this IN THE CONTEXT OF A
interesting decision include claims that there is no PROFESSION
clear understanding of the term among experts, the
term cannot be defined, and there are no accepted While the concept of sustainability is increasingly
criteria with supporting test methods to measure it discredited as a useful concept by itself, it appears
(Morelli et al., “Sustainable Consumption”). to be serving some purpose when preceded
There has been more than a decade of by a delineating modifier like “ecological” or
struggle with the definition and relevance of the “agricultural” or “economic.” Efforts have been
term among individuals in various professions (see made by members of various professions to give
Toman, Costanza, Mebratu, Vos). A debate exists meaning to the term within the context of those
between those who support a three-legged approach respective professions. Callicott and Mumford, for
(i.e., simultaneously benefitting economy-society- example, develop the meaning of the term “ecological
environment), and those who view it as a relationship sustainability” as a useful concept for conservation
between human society and nature (Robinson). biologists; In “Ecological Sustainability as a
The result is that the concept is now more open to Conservation Concept,” these authors advance an
individual political and philosophical interpretations ecological definition of sustainability that connects
than to scientific definition (Robinson). human needs and ecosystem services: “meeting
Even less progress in defining this concept human needs without compromising the health
appears to have been made by the organizations of ecosystems.” They propose this concept as a
that employ “sustainability” professionals. guiding principle for areas where human activities
“Sustainability” was recently identified in an annual take place.
guide to corporate newspeak as one of the most In “Economic Sustainability and the
abused terms in the corporate vernacular (“Urban Preservation of Environmental Assets,” Foy
Intelligence Network”). The term has become a explains that from an economic standpoint,
corporate buzzword, applied so commonly and sustainability requires that current economic activity
ubiquitously that it has become simply “a synonym for not disproportionately burden future generations.
everything that is positive,” (Kiss). This is strongly Economists will allocate environmental assets
evidenced in recent employment advertisements as only part of the value of natural and manmade
for sustainability managers and directors. In their capital, and their preservation becomes a function
analysis of posted job descriptions associated of an overall financial analysis. In contrast, the
with employment opportunities for sustainability ecologist will seek to preserve minimum levels
managers in US corporations, Greenwood and Bliss of environmental assets in physical terms. He
reported great diversity in expectations regarding the suggests that since an ecological approach will
associated scope of duties (Greenwood and Bliss). better characterize the present situation, it should
The descriptions varied in emphasis from not much serve to limit conventional economic reasoning
more than straightforward accounting to an almost to ensure sustainability. Economic sustainability
evangelistic extreme of sustainability championing, should involve analysis to minimize the social costs
(Morelli et al., “Sustainable Consumption”). of meeting standards for protecting environmental
assets but not for determining what those standards
should be.