Why is sustainability important?

For over a century, the world has witnessed remarkable material progress. However, this progress has come at a tremendous price, creating some of the most serious challenges facing the world today, including that of poverty, growing inequity and increasing joblessness. Compounding these challenges are the threats of global warming and environmental degradation. The model of industrial growth pursued since the Industrial Revolution has paid scant attention to the planet and its resources. The debilitating impact on air, water, soil and bio-diversity not only threatens the present but also the socio-economic security of future generations as well.