A process, business, or activity that is capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing adverse ecological damage. Founded on the three elements of economics, effects on society, and the environment, it considers the wider effects and longer-term implications on the planet. The concept of sustainability has developed over the decades and can be traced back to United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in 1972 that added the effect of the environment to the list of problems facing the existence of humankind. The UN Conference also led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme, which provides leadership and partnership in caring for the environment and enables nations to improve the quality of life without compromising future generations.

www.unep.orgOfficial website of the United Nations Environment Programme.