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The most commonly known three pillars of sustainability are social, economic and environmental. These pillars are an integral part of any business which wants to adopt sustainable practices. These concepts of three pillars of sustainability were first mentioned in the Brundtland report, and they are also known as people, planet and profits. This blog will shed light on the concept of social sustainability and some of the features of social sustainability.
What is social sustainability?
Sustainability is best described as the ability to meet the current generation’s needs without compromising future generations’ ability to fulfil their own needs. The environment is an important consideration, but it is not the only consideration within sustainability. Human welfare, for example, is another equally important factor of social sustainability. In simple words, social sustainability can be described as a part of the bigger scope of ESG. [1]
Social sustainability is largely ignored in mainstream media’s sustainability debate, but it is a critical component of a society’s longevity and well-being. Particularly in planning, housing, and communities, where policy and investment have concentrated on renewable resources, low-carbon communities, etc., economic and environmental sustainability have been prioritized. A community comprises both the people who live there and the places where they do; it is both a physical environment and a social environment. That is why social sustainability should also be given the same level of priority as economic and environmental sustainability.
In simple words, social sustainability can be defined as a method for designing a thriving, sustainable community that fosters wellness by considering what inhabitants want and need from their homes and workplaces. Social sustainability integrates physical and social design, including social amenities, methods for citizen participation, and space for people and places to develop. It also includes infrastructure to support social and cultural activity.
If communities want to succeed as places where people want to live for the long term, they need to attract and retain residents from a wide range of backgrounds and ages. The basic motivation behind people moving to a new community is a better quality of housing, more space at the same cost and better job prospects.
Four principles of social sustainability
The four social sustainability principles are quality of life, equality, diversity, democracy and social cohesion.
Quality of life
Quality of life has a big role to play in ensuring social sustainability. The term “quality of life” refers to a broad topic that includes a variety of factors that influence our ability to live. For instance, access to support services, affordable housing, physical and mental health care, educational and training possibilities, work options, and, of course, safety and security.
Equality
Equality is known as reducing disadvantages for particular groups or assisting those groups in overcoming obstacles so they can have more control over their life. It also entails figuring out how to lessen disadvantages by recognizing their sources and causes. This is an important defining characteristic of social sustainability.
Diversity
This social sustainability dimension is crucial in ensuring that every community gets adequate representation. Finding needs from many diverse groups of various groups of people, evaluating those requirements, and providing education are all part of the concept of diversity.
Social cohesion
Social cohesion ensures participation from every group in the community. Social cohesion entails encouraging individual participation within a target group, as well as facilitating access for target groups to public and civic organizations. Building connections between various target groups in a larger sense by encouraging target groups to make contributions to society as well is an important factor.
The role of social sustainability in achieving long-term business success
Businesses that embrace social sustainability principles through programs like ethical labor practices and community support projects not only contribute positively to society but also build a solid foundation for long-term success and resilience in the marketplace.
Things to know about social sustainability and inclusive growth
Over the years, multiple challenges have compromised efforts to reduce poverty and promote inclusive growth. Most recently, these challenges came in the form of Covid-19[2] and the associated economic crisis that came with it. These factors have reversed the progress made thus far and spotlight long-standing systematic inequalities and exclusion. Social sustainability and inclusion reflect the importance we put on addressing these challenges. Here are five things to know about social inclusion:
- Social sustainability creates inclusive societies where citizens take proactive measures, and the administration responds. The foundation of social sustainability resides in inclusive and just societies. These societies promote growth and poverty reduction.
- Social sustainability works parallel with economic and environmental sustainability. We have seen that in the past, there has been a trend of emphasizing economic and environmental sustainability. But that has changed with the growing awareness of the challenges of fragility, inequality, discrimination, etc. Now social sustainability has been recognized as a central factor affecting inclusive growth and poverty reduction.
Advancing towards a sustainable tomorrow with Schneider Electric
At Schneider Electric, we are dedicated to making sustainable practices accessible to all our clients. Sustainability is at the core of our purpose, and we work relentlessly to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world. Since we rely on natural resources and ecosystem services, Schneider Electric understands the significance of nature and biodiversity for human survival. Our goal is to enable everyone to maximize their efforts and resources in order to balance development that is both sustainable and forward-thinking for all.
