Anita Boros, Gyula Koi (eds): Sustainability and Law
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1.The conceptual framework of sustainability (Anita Boros)
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1.2. The three pillars of sustainability
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1.2.1. Environmental sustainability

1.2.1. Environmental sustainability

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During the evolution of the concept ‘system of sustainability’, we saw that that it first emerged in response to threats on environment or natural disasters. Later, sustainability in the modern sense became synonymous with fighting against the degradation of resources, and has shown a close, symbiotic relationship with certain segments of the institutional system of environmental protection. Due to society’s increasing sensitivity to ecological issues, the environmental aspects of sustainability are being increasingly examined in scientific literature. Thanks to this, many authors believe that the environmental dimension of sustainability is the primary one,1 and according to others, the only one,2 that is, the guarantee of a type of sustainable human operation that does not harm the quality of the environment and the ecosystem.3 Since the environment provides scarce and limited natural resources, according to representatives of environmental sustainability, it is necessary to transform economic activities in order to preserve and protect existing resources.4 According to another formulation,5 environmental sustainability advocates harmonious coexistence with nature, creating a balance between human needs and ecological limits. This was given a huge boost by the rapid development of scientific research related to anthropogenic climate change starting in the 1960s. Owing to this, measuring the negative effects of climate change, understanding its risk exposure and adaptation costs has undoubtedly become one of the focus areas of sustainability.6 Environmental sustainability is therefore often defined as the integration of social and economic development with environmental protection to ensure a high quality of life for current and future generations.7

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In addition, it must also be taken into account that economy cannot function without resources. That is why many authors emphasised the application of the Triple Bottom Line approach,8 which requires economic actors to take social and environmental values into account in addition to economic values.9 The idea that corporate practices should be in line with sustainability objectives surfaced relatively quickly in the scientific community. Porter also saw a business opportunity in sustainability,10 as he also saw such an opportunity in the transition to a green economy instead of the traditional economic model. And for this, it was necessary to develop modern business strategies and corporate operating principles that are sustainable.
 

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The economic perspective of sustainability is the development of sustainable economic solutions in the light of current consumption needs, taking into account the limited availability of resources. The growth of the population and, in parallel, the satisfaction of increased food demand were already focal points of 19th century economics.11 The concerns were dispelled for a short time by the technological progress brought about by the industrial revolution, thanks to which natural capital was replaced by created capital.12 According to many, one of the main issues of economic sustainability is the relationship between created and natural capital: their substitute or complementary nature.13According to the representatives of the former trend, the needs of future generations will be satisfied thanks to future technological innovation processes, while according to the latter trend, created capital and natural capital are complementary goods,14 that is, if we consume more created capital, we must also consume more natural capital.15 In this sense Ger Asheim16characterizes sustainability as a requirement for our generation, in the framework of which we must manage the resource base in such a way that the average quality of life we provide can potentially be shared with future generations.17 This is precisely why modern economics emphasised efficiency, i.e. the absence of waste.18 Sustainability economics complements this with the principle of justice in the field of human-nature relations.19

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Some authors define sustainability as a state of dynamic equilibrium, where the timing and amount of resource renewal is adequate to maintain a given state20 without jeopardizing the current and future availability or renewal of other resources.21 This concept stressesthe balance between resource use and conservation, ensuring that current needs are met without compromising the needs of future generations.22
 
1 Ramos, T. B., de Melo, J. J. (2006). ‘Developing and implementing an environmental performance index for the Portuguese military.’ Business Strategy and the Environment, 15(2) 71–86. DOI: 10.1002/bse.440
2 Azzone, G., Noci, G., Manzini, R., Welford C. R., Young, W. (1996). ‘Defining environmental performance indicators: An integrated framework.’ Business Strategy and the Environment, 5(2) 69–80. DOI: 10.1002/( sici )1099-0836(199606)5:2< 69:: aid-bse48>3.0.co;2-w ; Barreto, L. V., Anderson, H.C., Anglin, A., Tomovic, C. L. (2010). ‘Product lifecycle management in support of green manufacturing: Addressing the challenges of global climate change.‘ International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 19(3–4) 294–305. DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2010.031374; Rebitzer, G., Ekvall, T., Frischknecht, R., Hunkeler, D., Norris, G., Rydberg, T., Schmidt, W-P., Suh, S., Weidema, B., Pennington, D.W. (2004). ‘Life cycle assessment part 1: Framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, and applications.’ Environment International, 30(5) 701–720. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2003.11.005
3 Kaswan, V., Choudhary, M., Kumar, P., Kaswan, S., Bajya, P. (2015). ‘Green Production Strategies.’ In: Smithers, G., Reference Module in Food Science. (Amsterdam:Elsevier). 492–500. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22292-0 ISBN 9780081005965 (eBook)
4Werner K., Griese K-M., Hogg, J. (2020). ‘The service-dominant logic, value Co-creation and the impact on universities ' event management curricula.’ In: Gehrke, G., Isabelle Thilo, I. G. (eds.), Trends in Event Education. (New York City:Springer). 113-127.
5 Said, M., Hassan, F. U., Islam, M. S., Toriman, M. E. B., Rehim, A., Bashir, M. A., Raza, H.M.A., Nawaz, R. (2024). Environmental Sustainability. In: Idris, S., Global Challenges for the Environment and Climate Change. (Hershey (Penn.):IGI Global). 1-15. DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-2845-3.ch001
6 Tegart, W. J. McG., Sheldon, G. W. and D.C. Griffiths (eds.) (1990), The IPCC impacts assessment: climate change. (Canberra:Australia Government Publishing Service), 294. URL: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/ipcc_far_wg_II_full_report.pdf (accessed: 22 October 2024)
7 Žvinklienė, Z., Mikneviciene, D. (2024). ‘Education of the concept of environment sustainability in preschool children, getting to know the natural resources in the pakruojis region - dolomite rock.’ Gamtamokslinis ugdymas bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje (GUBUM) [Science education in a general education school], 30(1) 77-87. DOI: 10.48127/ gu /24.30.77
8Elkington, J. (1994). ‘Towards the sustainable corporation: win-win-win business strategies for sustainable development.’ California Management Review, 36(2) 90-100. DOI: 10.2307/41165746
9Drengner, J. (2015). ‘Nachhaltige Veranstaltungen statt “Green Meetings.” Eine empirische Studie zur Bedeutung der ökologischen, sozialen und ökonomischen Dimension der Nachhaltigkeit aus Sicht von Veranstaltungsstätten.’ In: Ophoff, M. G. (ed.), Nachhaltiges Veranstaltungsmanagement - Green Meetings als Zukunftsprojekt für die Veranstaltungsbranche. (Munich:oekom Munich). 274. ISBN 978-3-86581-783-9
10 Porter, M. E. (1991). ‘America' Green Strategy.’ Scientific American, 264(4)168-168. DOI: 10.1038/scientificamerican0491-168
11 Proops, J. L. R. (1998). ‘Ecological economics: Rationale and problem areas.’ Ecological Economics, 1(1) 59-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/0921-8009(89)90024-4
12 Boulding, K. E. (1966). The economics of the coming spaceship Earth. In: Jarrett, H. (ed.), Environmental quality in a growing economy (Baltimore-Oxford: Johns Hopkins Press for Resources for the Future-Oxford University Press). 3-14. ISBN 9781315064147
13 Baumgärtner, S., Quaas, M. (2010). ‘What is sustainability economics?’ Ecological Economics, 69(3) 445-450. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.11.019
14 Elliott (2005) op. cit.
15 Kirchhof, M. M. (2005). ‘Promoting sustainability through green chemistry.’ Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 44(3) 237-243. DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec .2005.01.003; Daly, H. E. (2017). Toward some operational principles of sustainable development 1. In: Pezzey, J. C. V. - Michael Toman, M. (eds.), The Economics of Sustainability. (London:Routledge). 424. ISBN 9781315240084 DOI: 10.4324/9781315240084
16Asheim, G. B., Buchholz, W., Tungodden, B. (2001). ‘Justifying sustainability’ (2001), 41(3), Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 41(3), 252-268. DOI: doi:10.1006 jeem.2000.1137
17 Hanley, N., Shogren, J., White, B. (2019). Introduction to environmental economics. (Oxford:Oxford University Press). 408. ISBN 978-0-19-107243-7
18 Robbins, L. (1932). An Essay in the Nature and Significance of Economic Science. (London:Macmillan). 160. ISBN no.
19 Dobson, A. (1998). Justice and the Environment. Conceptions of Environmental Sustainability and Dimensions of Social Justice. (Oxford and New York:Oxford University Press). 292. ISBN 0-19-829495-6 (e-Book).
20

Mauerhofer, V., Rupo, D., Tarquinio, L. (2020). Sustainability and Law - General and Specific Aspects. (Amsterdam:Springer). 773. ISBN 978-3-030-42629-3. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42630-9

Mauerhofer, V., Rupo, D., Tarquinio, L. (eds.) (2020). Sustainability and Law. General and Specific Aspects. (Cham:Springer International Publishing). xi, 773. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42630-9 Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-42629-3 Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-42632-3 e-Book ISBN: 978-3-030-42630-9

21 Darling, S. B. (2024). ‘Sustainability: A Deceptively Full Glass’ ACS Sustainable Resource Management, 1(4) 579-581. DOI: 10.1021/acssusresmgt.4c00082
22 Giuseppe A. Ramirez, ‘Sustainability’. (2024) Qeios. DOI: 10.32388/6P7VQT.
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