According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sustainability is a dynamic process that equitably ensures the persistence of natural and human systems (IPCC, 2014).
Sustainability is often used to describe actions, products, or services. For example, sustainable cars. However, experts consulted for the development of this reflectary highlight the excessive use of this word. The word sustainability refers to global processes; it represents the desired utopia, which is related to ensuring the persistence of life on earth. They therefore recommend using it to refer to large-scale processes, strategies, or public policies associated to the use of the biosphere for current and future human development, and maintaining life on Earth.
Sustainability is often used to describe actions, products, or services. For example, sustainable cars. However, experts consulted for the development of this reflectary highlight the excessive use of this word. The word sustainability refers to global processes; it represents the desired utopia, which is related to ensuring the persistence of life on earth. They therefore recommend using it to refer to large-scale processes, strategies, or public policies associated to the use of the biosphere for current and future human development, and maintaining life on Earth.
References:
IPCC, 2014: Annex II: Glossary [Mach, K.J., S. Planton and C. von Stechow (eds.)]. In: Cli- mate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 117-130.
Encuesta y grupos focales consultados para la elaboración de este reflexionario.
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