The sustainability of sustainability

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The sustainability of sustainability

• Reorienting the course of the sustainability
  discussion

Niels Faber René Jorna Jo van Engelen
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Contents

• Introduction
• Problem definition
• Theoretical framework
• Data
• Conclusions
• Points of discussion

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Introduction

• A new hype sustainability
• But what is sustainability?
• Between 1960s and 2000s
• Conceptual definitions 35
• Operational definitions 580

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Introduction

• Sustainable development (WCED, 1987)
• development that meets the needs of the present
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their own needs
• Sustainability according to Wijffels (Naar een
  duurzaamheidsbalans, 4 juni 2002)
• Sustainability means a reduction in devolvement

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Problem definition

• Why do so many definitions exist?
• Caused by different types users?
• Caused by different trends in society?
• Caused by different application areas?
• Can we make a conceptual framework?

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Theoretical framework

• Goal detect developments
• The framework consists of
• Time dimension
• Three different aspects of sustainability

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Theoretical framework

• Conceptualisation
• Normal one-place operator? object is
  sustainable
• Better two- or more-place operator? object is
  sustainable in comparison to context
• Aspects
• Tangibility
• Valuation
• Static-dynamic behaviour

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Theoretical framework

• Tangibility
• Valuation
• Static-dynamic behaviour

Absolute
Relative
Static
Dynamic
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Theoretical framework

• Timeline
• Bolwijn Kumpes (1990) classification
• 1960s Efficient firm
• 1970s Quality firm
• 1980s Flexible firm
• 1990s Innovative firm
• Extension
• 2000s Knowledge based firm

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Theoretical framework - complete
Static
Absolute
Entity
Dynamic
Relative
Construct
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Data

• Sustainability between 1960s and 2000s
• Conceptual definitions 35
• Operational definitions 580
• Selection of sample
• Conceptual definitions 30
• Operational definitions 29
• IISD Compendium global multinational
  international

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Sustainability defined?
Sources (Pirages, 1977) (Coomer, 1979)
Data
Sources (UNESCO, 1968)
Sources (Tietenberg, 1984) (WCED,
1987) (Markandya Pearce, 1988)
Sources (Pezzey, 1992) (Elkington, 1999)
Sources (Tietenberg, 2000) (McElroy, 2003)
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Sustainability defined?
Data
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Sustainability operationalised?
Data
Sources (USDoE, 1995 Brunvoll, 1997 Hardi,
1997)
Sources (GRI, 2000 WRI, 2000 OECD, 2001 UNEP,
2003)
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Sustainability operationalised?
Data
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Conclusions

• Sustainability mainly oriented towards
  environmental discussion debateable
• The future is for localisation instead of
  globalisation
• Increasing complexity leads to
• Discussion not only in environmental terms
• More concise discussions on sustainability
• Increasing impossibility to turn ones back to
  devolvement.

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Points of discussion

• Duurzaam innoveren vereist mondige klanten.
• Een toenemende marktwerking bevordert de
  duurzaamheid van uw organisatie.
• Kennis is niet schaars en onttrekt zich daarmee
  aan een vraag- en aanbodmodel

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Theoretical framework
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Theoretical framework
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Theoretical framework
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Theoretical framework