"Environmental sustainability" refers to the practice of making use of natural resources efficiently and responsibly, so that future generations can also benefit from them. It's rooted in the concept of sustainability in ecology, which is about how biological systems endure and remain diverse and productive over time. Examples of this include long-standing, healthy ecosystems such as forests and wetlands. Environmental sustainability encompasses the four intertwined domains of sustainable development, namely ecology, economics, politics, and culture.
This discipline involves reducing the negative impact of human actions on the environment through eco-friendly practices, environmental resource management, and environmental protection. Various fields contribute valuable information towards this end, such as green chemistry, earth science, environmental science, conservation biology, and ecological economics.
Achieving environmental sustainability is not just a scientific challenge, but also a social one. It requires changes at all levels, from local and individual lifestyles, urban planning and transport, to international and national laws. This can involve reorganizing living conditions (like in ecovillages, eco-municipalities, and sustainable cities), reassessing economic sectors and work practices (through permaculture, green building, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable architecture), and developing new green technologies and renewable energy sources.
While the term "sustainability" has gained popularity, the achievement of environmental sustainability is still an open question due to issues like environmental degradation, climate change, overconsumption, population growth, and the ongoing pursuit of unlimited economic growth in a finite system.
