Knowra Sustainability Sustainability Sustainability is the capacity of a system or practice to endure over time without exhausting the resources or conditions on which it depends. It includes environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
Sustainable development : Development that meets present needs while safeguarding future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. This framework connects enduring practices with human development across generations.
Life-cycle assessment : A method for estimating the environmental impacts of a product or service across its life cycle. It can reveal impacts shifted between extraction, production, use, and disposal.
Renewable energy : Energy from sources replenished naturally on human timescales, such as sunlight, wind, and flowing water. It can reduce dependence on finite fuels, while still requiring land and materials.
Degrowth : A political and economic proposal to reduce material and energy throughput while improving well-being and equity. It challenges the assumption that sustainability can be secured while economies continually expand.
Absolute decoupling : A decline in total environmental pressure while economic output increases over the same period. Its scale and persistence shape whether growth can coexist with lower total impacts.
Planetary boundaries : A framework identifying Earth-system processes and thresholds that constrain a stable, habitable planet. It gives environmental sustainability measurable limits grounded in Earth-system science.
Circular economy : An economic model designed to reduce waste by circulating, maintaining, reusing, and regenerating materials and products. It seeks to reduce resource depletion by keeping materials useful for longer.
Sustainable agriculture : Agricultural practices that seek lasting productivity while conserving ecosystems and supporting viable livelihoods. Farming must maintain soil, water, biodiversity, and food production over time.
Steady-state economy : An economy designed to maintain stable levels of population and material throughput within ecological limits. It translates the idea of enduring resource use into an economic model.
Rebound effect : An increase in resource use that partly or fully offsets savings from improved efficiency. Efficiency gains may not reduce overall demand if lower costs encourage additional use.
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