Is it time to rethink sustainability?

The Great Wall of China has endured for more than two millennia. Egypt's Karnak Temple Complex has stood for over 3,500 years. Japan's Hōryū-ji remains one of the world's oldest surviving wooden buildings after nearly 1,300 years. The Great Clock of Westminster has kept accurate time since 1859, while the Beverley Clock has operated continuously for more than 160 years without batteries or electricity, powered only by subtle changes in atmospheric conditions.

Having had the opportunity to visit most of these remarkable achievements, I have often asked myself a simple question: What enables something created by humans to endure for centuries, or even millennia? The answer is rarely longevity alone. It is thoughtful design, quality materials, effective governance, regular maintenance, and the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances.

This leads to a broader question: Should our understanding of sustainability be equally enduring?

Today, sustainability has become one of the most frequently used concepts in global policy, business, education, technology, and environmental discussions. Yet its meaning often changes depending on who is using it. 

For some, sustainability is primarily about environmental protection. For others, it concerns financial viability, institutional continuity, social impact, or the lifespan of a project. 

In practice, many initiatives are described as "sustainable" simply because they continue operating for several years after external funding ends.

These different interpretations are understandable, but they also create uncertainty. When the same term carries different meanings across sectors, comparing results, evaluating impact, and developing consistent policies become increasingly difficult.

The foundation of the modern sustainability concept is well established. The Brundtland Commission's 1987 report, Our Common Future, defined sustainable development as meeting "the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". This principle has shaped international thinking for decades and remains central to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Likewise, organisations such as the OECD assess sustainability by considering whether the benefits of an intervention continue after external support has ended.

These frameworks provide strong guiding principles. However, they are intentionally broad and are interpreted differently across disciplines. As sustainability expands into areas such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, innovation, education, healthcare, engineering, and institutional development, there is growing value in a more practical, cross-sector understanding that can be applied consistently while remaining flexible enough for different contexts.

Perhaps sustainability can be understood more comprehensively as the ability of a system, organization, product, programme, or technology to continue fulfilling its intended purpose over time by adapting to change, using resources responsibly, and creating lasting environmental, social, economic, and institutional value for present and future generations.

Such a perspective shifts the conversation beyond a simple measure of time. Sustainability would no longer be judged only by how long something survives, but by how effectively it adapts, how responsibly it uses resources, how resilient its governance and institutions are, and whether it continues to create meaningful value despite changing conditions.

This distinction is becoming increasingly important. We live in an era defined by artificial intelligence, climate change, demographic shifts, geopolitical uncertainty, and rapid technological disruption. In such a world, durability alone is insufficient. Systems must also be resilient, adaptable, and capable of continuous improvement.

History teaches us that the world's most enduring achievements were not built simply to last; they were designed to evolve, maintained with care, and supported by institutions capable of preserving their value over generations.

Perhaps the next evolution of sustainability thinking should ask not only, "How long did it last?" but also, "How well did it adapt? How responsibly did it use resources? And what lasting value did it create for future generations?"

The answers to these questions may help shape a more practical and universally applicable understanding of sustainability — one that reflects the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The author is the founder and managing director of Probha Aurora Ltd, founder and chairman of Probha Aurora Foundation, National Operator of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Bangladesh, Chair of the Make a Difference Week Celebration Global Committee at the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), and a Member of the Executive Council of the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), Dhaka. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.