Defining Sustainability
Put simply, sustainability is the practice of striving toward a better future, one that:
- Improves human health and wellbeing
- Protects and restores the natural environment
- Fosters a stronger economy and financial well-being for businesses, organizations, families, and individuals.
These three parts are often called the “triple bottom line,” to signify that organizational performance looks beyond the financial bottom line to include social and environmental considerations, too.
The Importance of Sustainability
Note: Click image for larger view.
Over the last two decades, governments, corporations, utilities, and other institutions have been grappling with compound issues arising from the growth of urban centers: environmental degradation, economic development, public health challenges, land use, mobility, quality of life, and the availability of natural resources. Sustainability is important because its triple bottom line perspective offers a new, useful, and effective framework for making decisions and investments that result in innovative solutions. By using sustainable practices in problem-solving, we can create the best possible outcomes for people, the environment, and financial and/or economic considerations—over the long term and for many generations to come.
By using a sustainability framework in our strategies, planning, designs, and operations, we can be assured that we are making good decisions that will stand the test of time. For instance, MSD’s investments in energy efficiency are creating cost reductions that will benefit our ratepayers for decades, as well as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—both of which are the right thing to do for our region and the global community. This win-win-win approach is why MSD’s 2009-2011 strategy addresses all three aspects of the triple bottom line:
- Operational and environmental performance
- Social and community performance
- Financial and risk performance
The Performance sections of this report are organized according to these 3 aspects and contain the details of MSD’s sustainability performance. The diagram above summarizes the many considerations within each aspect.
