Sustainability, What Is It?

Sustainability has many definitions however most have three key components:

• the integration of environment, social and economic goals;
  
  
• a focus on equity and fairness, and recognition that we cannot ignore the effects of our actions on others in an interdependent world; and
  
  
• recognition that while a strong economy is neccesary to meet the needs of today, it must not be at the expense of the ability of future generations being able to meet their own needs.

Sustainability is making decisions that incorporate all three goals as in the diagram below. We need to make decisions when building that are sustainable for the environment, our society and the economy if they are to be good decisions in the longer term.

In the construction or renovation or daily use of your sustainable home use:

• environmentally sound products - energy efficient, solar powered, non-poluting, non-toxic, clean air products;
  
  
• socially acceptable products - non-toxic, human healthy, built for our whole life, that enhance people's living, with plenty of private open space for gardens; and
  
  
• economically viable products - we need affordable housing but not at the cost of the environment or our health or future generations. Look at the cost of a product over it's entire life cycle - manufacture, installation, use and disposal. Products that are cheap to produce are not always good for us and may be difficult and expensive to dispose of when required, e.g. asbestos.

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