An introduction to sustainability and its concepts

Sustainability has become a widely recognised buzzword. Nevertheless, it is associated with different conceptual understandings, depending on who is talking and in what context. Therefore, the following descriptions are linguistic reference points from which a differentiated understanding of what could be meant by "sustainability" can emerge. Furthermore the outlined concepts are complementary, not alternative issues.

Following Jacobus A. Du Pisani, “the term ‘sustainability’ was first used in German forestry circles by Hans Carl von Carlowitz in his Sylvicultura Oeconomica in 1713. Carlowitz suggested nachhaltende Nutzung (sustainable use) of forest resources, which implied maintaining a balance between harvesting old trees and sustainable development”. This was after Georg Agricola, a German mining engineer, described the negative impacts of woodcutting and mining for the environment. Carlowitz, also a mining professional, was worried about the impact the demand for wood in the mining and other industries had for society. The exhaustibility of extracted raw material came more into focus in the 19th century when concerns were raised that coal deposits were not renewable and would soon be depleted if the high consumption of coal did not stop.

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 Med. 8.1: Von der nachhaltenden Nutzung - Ein fiktives Interview mit Hans Carl von Carlowitz

YouTube – Forstwirtschaft in Deutschland


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