The United Nations (UN) defines sustainability as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, ensuring a balance between economic growth, care for the environment, and social well-being", in Brundtland Report, 1987.

Sustainable development has, as its pillars, the following goals, which can be found in the UN Agenda 2030:

1 - Eradicate poverty;

2 - Eradicate hunger;

3 - Quality health;

4 - Quality education;

5 - Gender equality;

6 - Drinking water and sanitation;

7 - Renewable and accessible energies;

8 - Decent work and economic growth;

9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure;

10 - Reduce inequalities;

11 - Sustainable cities and communities;

12 - Sustainable production and consumption;

13 - Climate action;

14 - Protecting marine life;

15 - Protecting terrestrial life;

16 - Peace, justice and effective institutions;

17 - Partnerships to implement the goals.

 

The rapid depletion of natural resources, the impacts that human activity has on ecosystems and the biosphere, the high levels of social inequality and poverty that we face, and the lack of corporate management ethics are enemies of a sustainable development model, capable of ensuring the opportunities and quality of life that current generations (still) enjoy for future generations.

In 1983, the United Nations invited former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland to head the new World Commission on Environment and Development. After decades of efforts to improve living standards through industrialization, many countries were still dealing with extreme poverty, and environmental costs were rising. It was increasingly clear that economic development at the expense of ecological health and social equity did not result in lasting prosperity, or, in other words, the world needed to find a way to harmonize ecology and social cohesion with economic prosperity.

After four years of work, the so-called “Brundtland Commission” released its final report, “Our Common Future”, which came to warn about the negative environmental consequences of economic development and globalization and to offer solutions to the problems arising from industrialization and population growth. Even though we are currently witnessing an evolution from the concept of sustainable development to that of regenerative development, the definition of sustainable development that remains valid today emerged from this report.

Source: BCSD Portugal – Business Council for Sustainable Development.

For sustainability to occur fully, there are three factors that need to be assimilated: economic, social and environmental. It is called the “Triple Bottom Line”.

• Economic – Related to the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The economy must consider the social and environmental impact.
• Social – encompasses people and their living conditions such as education, health, violence, or leisure.
• Environmental – refers to the planet's natural resources and the way they are used by society, communities, or companies. 

Source: Lisbon Green 2020

The carbon footprint is a measure that calculates the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere by a person, activity, event, company, organization, or government. Many of our day-to-day activities generate atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). In order to be aware of the quantities, all of these gases can be converted into measures of carbon, or carbon dioxide (CO2). When we calculate the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere, we can find the carbon footprint of a particular person, company, or activity. 

By knowing our carbon footprint, we can analyze the impacts we cause on the atmosphere and the changes to the climate caused by the emission of greenhouse gases inherent to our daily consumption. Knowing our carbon emissions, whether direct or indirect, is important to be able to reduce them and contribute to the slowdown of global warming, improve the quality of life of people, and reduce our ecological footprint.