How can we measure sustainability?

Abstract

Science has lots of developed many means to measure and monitor economic and social phenomena, processes, and environmental conditions; now we want to measure sustainability. The first step is to make an exact definition of sustainability. The definition made by the Brundtland Commission defines it in terms of needs and limitations. Sustainable growth is only possible with harmonic development. Harmonic development is based on three ideas: social forms, economical level, and carrying capacity of a natural system. Economical efficiency determines social relationships, and these are limited by the carrying capacity of natural systems. For the sake of my research I analyzed mainstream scientific authorities. The Canadian National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy created six sustainability indicators. A US company called Sustainable Measures defined ten measurable interaction factors for sustainable development. The Global Report Initiative used triple bottom line in the assessment. In my thesis I survey and compare these methods, and make a proposal regarding practicable routines for European companies. Keywords: sustainability, sustainability indicators, measurement