Sustainability Is Complex

Sustainability is a moving target as the state of the planet, the ecosystems, and climate is changing rapidly, and the science is becoming clearer. Going back to the definition of sustainability that was put out in 1987. Key messages from the recent UNEP Gap Emissions Report (2023) are that the world is setting alarming emissions and temperature records, which intensify extreme weather events and other climate impacts across the globe. Despite the accelerating climate disasters, insufficient mitigation efforts mean the world is on track for a temperature rise far beyond agreed climate goals during this century. Offsetting and Compensating impacts is not enough we need to regenerate our ecosystems. This chapter introduces a concept from Harmful to Regenerative to create a fair and sustainable world. Sustainability is a journey that we all just embarking on