Environmental and Social Sustainability: Vision, Mission & Career Plan

Definitions of Environmental and Social Sustainability

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.

Personal Fit Within the Field

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.

History of Environmental and Social Sustainability and Current Relevance

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.

Conclusion and Reflections

Environmental and social sustainability is a relatively new field that is strongly linked to the success and profitability of modern organizations, given the impact of organizational processes and operations on the environment. This field has gained considerable momentum in recent years following the devastating impact of industrialization — particularly global climate change — and the increased focus on sustainable development. Organizations in today's business environment face the imperative of ensuring environmental protection and social development while simultaneously pursuing economic growth. The operational definition for environmental and social sustainability that follows from this analysis 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.

Despite being a relatively new formal field, environmental protection and social sustainability are concepts with a long history. This field is increasingly relevant in the modern business environment because of the universal need for sustainable development across all organizational operations. Professionals in this field develop competence through disciplines associated with social sciences, sciences, and humanities, since their roles involve environmental protection, economic development, and social development. The ability to function effectively in this field requires competence, a clearly articulated personal mission and vision, and a strategic plan for professional growth and development.

References

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Sustainable Degrees. (n.d.). Careers in sustainability. Retrieved December 23, 2015, from http://www.sustainabilitydegrees.com/careers/

United Nations Environment Management Group. (n.d.). Environmental and social sustainability. Retrieved December 23, 2015, from http://www.unemg.org/consultative-processes/environmental-and-social-sustainability