The ability to meet the needs of the present generation, while not compromising the ability to meet future generations’ needs. Social, Ecological, and Economic were deemed “The Three Pillars” of sustainability at the 2005 World Summit. In order to be sustainable, all three requirements must be met. If something is using very little resources and is socially acceptable but not affordable, clearly it can not be considered sustainable. The figure above shows the different ways resources can be used and what is considered sustainable.
