1.2 Sustainability is…

Ask 10 people on the street what it is and you will probably get 10 different answers. Not everyone understands the same thing by the word sustainability. If you want to work together for a sustainable future, it helps if you understand each other and speak the same language. That starts with the same definition for sustainability.

When you apply this definition to make organizations more sustainable, you improve the quality of life for your colleagues, customers and society, in a way that fits the natural limits of the earth. So that life is not only valuable for the current generation, but also for the generations that come after us. If in doing so you also ensure the continuity and health of your company, we call this sustainable organizational development.

Yet the definition requires additional clarification. What defines quality of life and where are the earth’s boundaries?