I have recently been reading Adam Werbach’s Strategy for Sustainability, which has incited me to explore the meaning of Sustainability. In the introduction he mentions how the word Sustainability has become widely used in reference to environmental concerns, and how it is sadly getting over used.

The Webster Dictionary defines sustainable as: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. If you google the word you will receive 29 million responses and as I perused the first few pages of offerings most are relative to environmental and green references- from a B-B or B-C perspective.

However what is more troubling is the many forms this word is taking on beyond the actual meaning/reference in a quasi form of “Green washing” which is defined as expressions of environmentalist concerns especially as a cover for products, policies, or activities.

We have all seen examples of this sort of thing, as a company touts their “Green Eco Friendly” line, yet their business operates as anything but Green, and they don’t even take the proper steps to improve their practices.

However, as we see “green and sustainable” becoming more a part of our everyday consumer and business language, will it water down the actions needed to help companies/ people be truly sustainable?

Adam identifies 4 coequal components of true sustainability which are:

Social- Actions and conditions that affect all members of society

Economic- Actions that effect how people and business meet their economic needs – securing water, etc

Environmental- actions and conditions that affect the earth’s ecology- preservation of natural resources

Cultural- Actions through which communities manifest their identity and cultivate tradition from generation to generation.

His litmus test is if the plan etc fulfills theses components then it is a “true” sustainable offering/effort. It is sad that we have to look behind the “Green” curtain to make sure it is compliant, however as an optimist- is taking one “Green” step forward, (sans the green washing) maybe with recycling etc still making an effort, and maybe once an organization or person takes this first “Green Step” subsequent steps will follow- and lead them down the path towards true sustainability? Time will tell……