Environmental and Social Sustainability: Vision, Mission & Career Plan

Environmental and social sustainability is a relatively new field that has gained significant attention in recent years following growing concerns about sustainable development and the devastating impacts of industrial processes on the environment. This paper examines the field as an area of professional interest, particularly with regard to helping human systems — that is, organizations — protect the environment and ensure social development. The reflection begins with an evaluation of different definitions of environmental and social sustainability, culminating in the development of an operational definition. It also incorporates an evaluation of individual steps taken to refine a personal vision as an internal practitioner in this field. Other important components discussed include a personal vision and mission statement, a strategic plan, professional growth objectives, the author's personal role in the field, and the relevance of environmental and social sustainability relative to its history.

Environmental and social sustainability is a relatively new field with numerous job opportunities spanning the social sciences, humanities, and sciences. The role of professionals in this field is to promote environmental protection, profitability, and social sustainability. However, there are multiple definitions of environmental and social sustainability, owing to several factors including the field's recent emergence and the varying roles of its practitioners.

First, environmental and social sustainability is described as the adaptation and integration of preventive principles and considerations into decision-making processes relating to the environment and social life (United Nations Environment Management Group, n.d.). Second, it is defined as the establishment of safeguards to prevent and reduce unnecessary harm to the environment, sometimes involving a mixture of minimum standards and guidelines for best practices (United Nations Environment Management Group, n.d.). Third, environmental and social sustainability is understood as engaging in practices and development initiatives that meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (McKenzie, 2004).

These different definitions are appealing because they represent the varying dimensions and aspects of the profession. They cover the field with regard to environmental and social components, sustainable development in organizations, and developmental initiatives across the globe. They also reflect the different natures and roles of professionals in this field with respect to incorporating social sciences, sciences, and humanities. In particular, these definitions address the three major aspects of the field and all its related practices: environmental protection, social responsibility, and profitability. The various job opportunities in the field primarily focus on these three major aspects.

The operational definition of environmental and social sustainability used in this paper is the use of formal and informal structures, systems, procedures, and relationships to support the ability of existing and future generations to meet their needs in a healthy and minimally harmful manner. This definition addresses the three major aspects of the various responsibilities of professionals in the field regardless of their specific career paths. When formal and informal processes, relationships, systems, and structures are directed toward meeting people's needs effectively, they contribute to environmental protection, social responsibility, and profitability for both current and future generations.

As previously noted, environmental and social sustainability encompasses careers and job opportunities related to science, social sciences, and humanities (Sustainable Degrees, n.d.). Professionals in this field are exposed to different career paths whose primary goal is to promote social responsibility, environmental protection, and profitability. Generally, practitioners in this field occupy unique roles that focus on the intersection of economics, environment, and social and cultural issues. In the business world, this intersection is commonly known as the triple bottom line, since it encompasses people, profits, and the planet. Consequently, the ability to function effectively in this field requires competence across these varied areas.

Job and career fit in the field of environmental and social sustainability therefore requires suitable personality traits and professional strengths. One critical strength is competence in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities (Sustainable Degrees, n.d.), since the various job responsibilities related to the triple bottom line require the ability to address social, environmental, cultural, and economic issues. A second crucial trait is flexibility, given that there is no single prescribed career path in this field (Sustainable Degrees, n.d.). Its interdisciplinary nature gives rise to a wide variety of sustainability jobs.

Personal vision for a role as a scholar-practitioner in the field of environmental sustainability is being refined through study in social sciences and humanities. These disciplines build both the proficiency and competence needed for environmental and social sustainability work, and they foster the flexibility required by a field without a single defined career trajectory. These two qualities will be central to working as a professional in the corporate world with a focus on the triple bottom line.

Environmental and social sustainability is a relatively new field, although sustainable development has been a concern for a considerable period of time. The concept of sustainability in relation to the environment gained worldwide prominence in 1987 following the report by the Brundtland Commission (Center for History and Economics, n.d.). Environmental history had already become an increasingly important disciplinary strand in the 1970s, though historians were initially reluctant to contribute to debates regarding sustainability. The Brundtland Commission played a crucial role in the emergence of this discipline by arguing that financial and social systems could not be separated from the environment.

The initial definitions of environmental and social sustainability were further refined by the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio (Edwards, 2010). The revised definitions incorporated concepts of environmental action, scientific knowledge, and environmental knowledge. Another important milestone was the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, which generated the idea of sustainable production and consumption. By the beginning of the 21st century, the science of climate change had become widely recognized and firmly established, deepening the discipline's importance as the environmental, social, scientific, and economic dimensions of sustainable development became increasingly intertwined.

The aspects of this history that remain most relevant today are economic development, environmental protection, and social development — the three pillars of this discipline. Economic development relates to providing people and communities with what they need without compromising quality of life. Environmental protection entails safeguarding the environment from probable future damage. Social development involves using appropriate strategies to maintain access to basic resources without diminishing quality of life. The two key concepts that will guide practice are environmental protection and social development. With regard to social development, efforts will focus on educating people about the importance of environmental sustainability and the dangers of failing to protect it. With regard to environmental protection, the aim will be to advocate for the use of renewable energy sources while promoting ecosystem preservation strategies.

Similar to other fields, environmental and social sustainability encompasses a wide range of roles, responsibilities, and job opportunities. This variety is attributable to the broad nature of the field and the absence of a single prescribed career path. Some of these roles include leadership and management, research, internal practitioner, consultancy, specialty areas, and teaching. As an internal practitioner in environmental and social sustainability, the two practice areas that are most appealing based on current experience and professional strengths are social development and environmental protection — both of which are central pillars of the discipline.

Social development entails providing effective and efficient access to basic resources through engaging in environmental sustainability and protection in a manner that does not compromise quality of life (Environmental Science, 2015). This process requires using existing legislation to prevent pollution and harmful business activities. Environmental protection, on the other hand, entails pursuing a greener future through technologically sound business practices and other human activities, with installation of renewable power sources in homes and businesses serving as one of the primary strategies.

The assistance that can be provided to human systems — that is, organizations — in these two areas includes the development of policies that promote social development and environmental protection. These policies will be grounded in existing regulations regarding environmental and sustainable development and will guide organizational operations and daily practices. Additionally, organizations will be encouraged to incorporate social development and environmental protection as components of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. This will help organizations change their supply chains to ensure goods are manufactured in a socially responsible manner (Bravo, n.d.).

Within the first year after graduation, the goal is to publish at least three articles in peer-reviewed journals to help advance environmental and social sustainability. The three proposed articles are: Achieving Organizational Success through Environmental and Social Sustainability, Effective Organizational Management through Sustainable Development, and Promoting Growth through Sustainability. Appropriate journals for publishing these articles include the Journal of Business, Journal of Business Strategy, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Business and Management, and Journal of Business and Management.

Achieving Organizational Success through Environmental and Social Sustainability will address the significance of social development and environmental protection in realizing organizational success. The article will demonstrate the importance of environmental and social sustainability for organizational performance and will argue that organizations must adopt strategies beyond profit-making by incorporating environmental protection to be truly successful.

Effective Organizational Management through Sustainable Development will highlight the importance of environmental protection and social development in contemporary management practices. The article will present several strategies that organizational management should adopt toward sustainable development across all operations and processes, grounded in the concepts of environmental protection and social development.

Promoting Growth through Sustainability will focus on sustainable development activities that promote business success and profitability. The article will argue for the integration of sustainability concepts and activities as core components of the organizational profit-making process.

The process of getting these articles published will involve approaching each topic from a logical rather than chronological perspective, developing a clear argument, seeking peer review after drafting, keeping the work concise and focused, and writing a thorough literature review. Additional steps will include selecting the most appropriate journal, following proper submission procedures, and responding directly and constructively to reviewer comments.

A mission statement refers to the core purpose and function of an individual, organization, or company, and it typically remains relatively stable over time. Generally, a mission statement defines the norms, culture, ethics, and goals of the individual or entity. The process of developing a personal mission statement in relation to the field of environmental and social sustainability involved several steps. The first step was identifying personal core values by creating a list of individual attributes and priorities. Second, areas of competence and academic success were identified to determine common themes and patterns that contribute to performance. The next step involved establishing goals based on those priorities, core values, and patterns of success. During this stage, both short-term and long-term objectives were listed. These steps culminated in writing a personal mission statement grounded in self-understanding.

The resulting mission statement is: to help human systems (organizations) realize an enhanced bottom line by adopting suitable practices and policies that are three-dimensional — focused on people, profits, and the planet. This mission statement is important because organizations in the modern business environment must promote social responsibility, environmental protection, and profitability to be successful. It also provides a framework for applying knowledge in social sciences and humanities to promote effective organizational management.

A vision statement is a clear description of what an individual or organization aims to achieve in the long term. At the individual level, it can be understood as a desired end state that guides current and future actions. Unlike a mission statement or goal, a vision rarely changes even as circumstances evolve. The process of developing a personal vision statement began with identifying personal qualities and core values. Next, a middle- to long-term self-image was developed by examining who one aims to become in the future. Third, a picture was drawn of the self and one's surroundings at intervals of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years into the future. These steps culminated in a vision statement that reflects the desired long-term outcome.

The resulting vision statement is: to help create a world where every individual is realizing their full potential by meeting their needs in a manner that does not compromise quality of life or hinder others from achieving their goals. The vision is to help create an environment in which everyone can apply their individual strengths toward realizing their goals without interfering with others' ability to do the same. This vision statement is significant because it reflects the connection between personal qualities and areas of competence with the desired goal in life.

A vision statement differs from a mission statement in that a vision represents the desired end state, while a mission statement defines the focus and activities undertaken to realize that vision. In essence, the vision is the destination and the mission is the roadmap for getting there.