What does “sustainable” mean?

The first definition of sustainability can already be found in the Bible (Genesis 2:15): “God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” This precludes both exploitation and stagnation. Use is permitted—destruction is not.

While in the Middle Ages, sustainability was primarily associated with natural resources, the 1987 Brundtland Report defines sustainability as the general ability to meet needs across generations. In 2015, the United Nations detailed what we (should) understand by sustainability through the 17 SDGs. – For details, see “Expression” below.

Applied to an SME, this means: An SME business model is “sustainable” if it uses available resources only to the extent that it could, in principle, be continued indefinitely.

This applies to both natural and social resources and takes into account regulatory requirements and economic resilience within the economic cycle. – For details, see “Principle” below.