Understanding Our Time: How Sustainability Is Changing Our Understanding.

Abstract

Sustainability is an age long concept but an evolving one especially in this part of the world. It is a concept that is shaping our perceptions of myriad of issues around economy, social justice and the environment. The need to appreciate this concept is necessitated by the various challenges we face in the areas of increasing poverty, unemployment, income inequality and political unrest which negatively affect our economies. Other challenges include global health threats, humanitarian crises, terrorism, racism, gender inequality which impact on global peace. Similarly, there are challenges relating to depletion of natural resources, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and climate change which endanger global environment. These challenges are mostly fall outs of human activities. Increasing rates of these challenges pose threats to our existence, particularly that of future generations, thus it calls for the need to redirect our actions towards sustainability so as to have a world that guarantees vibrant economies, peaceful and secured communities and a safe biosphere. For those of us in the corporate world, companies are key contributors to economic, environmental and social well being. Corporate activities affect the present and will indeed impact on the future, so that corporate sustainability is necessary for long term sustainable development of the economy and society. If corporate sustainability is seen as being the result of management effort to address challenges that may hamper sustainable development, then it makes sense to discuss sustainability reporting.