Definition of sustainability

The term "sustainability" originated in the field of forestry in the late 18th century. The German forester Hans Carl von Carlowitz coined the term "Nachhaltigkeit" in 1713, which translates to "sustainability" or "perpetuation." Carlowitz used this term to describe the practice of logging and managing forests in a way that ensured their perpetuation for future generations. The concept of sustainability was later adopted by other fields, including ecology, economics, and environmental studies, where it referred to the ability of a system to maintain its natural resources, ecosystem services, and social structures over time. In the 1980s, the word "sustainability" gained widespread use and is now a fundamental principle of modern environmental and development policy.