Sustainable development is one of society’s most pressing aspirations. There is still a lack of awareness of the profound global impact caused by human activities on our path to gaining greater prosperity. Everything that we have achieved has created an environmental situation that should cause great concern. 

The loss of biodiversity, climate change, and the degradation of critical natural resources are just a few of the issues that reveal the state of our planet and transmit an inescapable message: the time to make things better is now. Undoubtedly, the commitment of society as a whole is key — we are all part of both the problem and the solution.

“The last 50 years have without doubt seen the most rapid transformation of the human relationship with the natural world in the history of the species.” 

Steffen et al. (2004).

Sustainability is the ability to achieve sustained economic prosperity over time, while protecting the planet’s natural systems, but still providing a good quality of life for the population. We can also define it as a process that aims to find a balance between the environment and the use of natural resources.

The term sustainability has undergone various transformations over time to reach the modern concept based on the development of socio-ecological systems to achieve a new configuration in the three central dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, the social and the environmental (see www.responsabilidadsocial.net/medio-ambiente-que-es-definicion-caracteristicas-cuidado-y-carteles). A society has a future when economic development, social well-being and the environment are united in a balanced way.

The three dimensions of sustainable development

Definition of sustainability

There are many different approaches to defining sustainability. According to the journal RAE (Revista de Administração de Empresas), the term sustainable is “something that can sustain itself” or “a process that sustains itself.” The definition adopted by the World Commission on Environment and Development and formulated in 1987 in the United Nations Brundtland report, “Our Common Future”, is as follows: “Sustainable development refers to the capacity that the human system has developed to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the resources and opportunities for the growth and development of future generations.”

Sustainability seeks to ensure that economic activity maintains or improves environmental systems and improves quality of life of the inhabitants. It also seeks to use resources efficiently by promoting maximum recycling and reuse of materials (see www.responsabilidadsocial.net/3r-la-regla-de-las-tres-erres-reducir-reciclar-y-reutilizar); proposes the implementation of clean technologies to avoid further wear and tear and helps to restore damaged ecosystems (see www.responsabilidadsocial.net/ecosistema-que-es-definicion-tipos-caracteristicas-y-ejemplos). It also recognizes the importance of nature for human well-being and encourages self-sufficiency in each region.

When do we talk about sustainability?

• When we seek a way for economic activity to maintain or improve environmental systems.
• To ensure resources are used efficiently.
• When promoting maximum recycle and reuse.
• When proposing implementation of clean technologies.
• To restore damaged ecosystems.
• For encouraging regional self-sufficiency.
• When recognizing the importance of nature for human well-being.

Dimensions of sustainability 

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Program, “Educating for a Sustainable Future,” there are four dimensions of sustainability: 

• The Social Sustainability pillar links the values and principles of peace and equity for all people. 
• The Ecological or Environmental Sustainability pillar, which focuses on the conservation of the environment and human resources. 
• The Economic Sustainability pillar, which is related to the proper and ethical development of the business and the private sector. 
• The Political Sustainability pillar, which deals with democracy and the governability of countries and their states.

These four dimensions are intertwined with the purpose of creating a balance between society, business, and the environment. In turn, these elements must be framed by governance, the latter acts through a series of International and National Regulatory Frameworks.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all UN member states at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. In a world that is walking towards its extinction, the 2030 Agenda was born as a path for hope. It provides a comprehensive and ambitious framework to help countries, companies, and society in general to address these pressing needs, thus making the construction of our planet, society and economy more inclusive and sustainable for both present and future generations. 

The 2030 Agenda created 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in response to the need to address the most pressing global challenges, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation or lack of sustainable development.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (2017), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as Global Goals, are “a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals 

Sustainable practices

Good sustainable practices could be followed to improve and optimize the relationship between our actions and the planet. Some of the most traditional and innovative examples and those of greatest relevance for sustainable development are as follows:

• Inorganic waste, mainly glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and scrap or metal, can be recycled to be transformed into materials for domestic and/or industrial use such as packaging, bags, bottles, among others. 
• Biodegradable waste, mainly vegetable peels, food waste, flowers, leaves, and eggshells, among others, can be recycled and processed to be used as fertilizer for plants in agriculture and gardening. 
• Solar power plants use sunlight to produce electricity. It is a clean and renewable type of energy that helps protect the environment, improve people’s well-being and guarantee the sustainability of businesses. 
• Wind farms are facilities with wind turbines that use wind power to generate electricity, thus becoming a clean alternative for power generation. 
• Wave energy is produced from the force of waves, whose movement produces hydraulic pressure, which is transmitted to floating buoys to later be converted into electricity. It is a very efficient, renewable and clean energy that is currently being explored. 
• Organic agriculture is based on the optimization of the use of natural resources, without using chemicals or genetically modified organisms. Its objective is the production of organic food without neglecting the protection of soils and resources. It also reduces the greenhouse effect and increases fertility.
• The use of rainwater, as raw or untreated water, is essential to avoid wasting this important non-renewable natural resource. Through the use of rainwater, the existence of groundwater is saved, the energy expenditure for the treatment of drinking water is reduced, and rainwater treatment plants and sewers are discharged.
• A solar bike path is an ecological transportation system, designed for the circulation of bicycles, it is charged during the day with solar energy and shines at night. It is an alternative transportation route that, in addition, can be used to power electric vehicles, food service and lighting stations, or simply go to the electricity transmission networks. 
• Likewise, the use of electric vehicles, already known worldwide, is a sustainable alternative for transportation since it does not pollute the environment or produce noise pollution.

Sustainability, intellectual property and the destruction of counterfeits

With the above-mentioned sustainable practices in mind, it is worth highlighting the destruction practices of products seized for trademark infringement and how brands and law firms could be involved in promoting sustainability in this area.

As an example, the Uruguay Trademark Law No. 17.011, Article 84, section 2, and Law 9.739, Article 46, section C, mandate the confiscation and destruction of seized infringing goods. These destructions generate waste from various counterfeit products of major brands (such as toys, footwear, perfumes, makeup, etc.). Previously, the destruction methods involved burning, burying, or storing them in warehouses for months or even years, incurring additional expenses.

See the case studies below for examples of projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of counterfeit product destruction by transforming discarded materials into valuable resources for the community. 

Businesses sharing their vision of professional actions and initiatives aimed at caring for the environment, such as the case study examples above, could inspire others to follow this path towards sustainability.

Clearly, sustainable development is a multi-attribute function, not easy to define, but which certainly requires interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work to imagine, innovate, design, and dare to build different realities that include a systemic vision. Without a doubt, it is a very complex task, but of great importance to promote the integral development of the human being, thinking about new generations and the care of the earth, as its true home.

“Those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act.”

Albert Einstein