This definition alone lends itself to wide interpretation, which can open the door to significant debate and spell potential for the entire sustainability movement. So what I would like to suggest is for you to start with a very simple definition of the sort we learned as kids: Put back what you take. What that means in practical terms is simply that whenever we take a resource for our immediate use, we should always endeavor to either recycle it or replace it. This balance, in my opinion, should be the key component of a sustainability movement that’s in harmony with nature (which, when left undisturbed, is always 100% in balance and therefore able to constantly renew itself).

So you may ask: are you doing your part to “put back” an equal amount of the finite resources, such as energy, that you consume at home or at work? To answer that, you must first be able to answer the question of exactly how one goes about replacing such resources.

From a realistic perspective, we must start with the premise that because of the volume of goods and services that our society (and, increasingly, others) now requires to operate, it is very difficult for any industry to be 100% in balance where resources are concerned. But there are measures that can go a long way toward restoring a degree of balance that I believe can and will make all the difference in providing us with sustainable development. While it may be very difficult for companies to be 100% energy or carbon neutral, for instance, they can institute certain procedures that will move them substantially toward that goal. This idea of achieving balance by degrees, is, I believe, of critical importance in bringing about overall sustainability --- setting doable objectives that will bring your operation ever closer to parity in restoring the resources it uses.

Such incremental success, then, is the way to proceed toward balancing your company’s use and replacement of resources, and the basis for keeping consumers informed of what you are doing to contribute to sustainability. For example if you are going to reduce your carbon footprint by 30% within the next two years, or intend to switch to 100% use of recycled plastic pallets within five years, or donate rather than discard still usable electronic equipment to a group or charity when you upgrade your system, those are meaningful objectives worth conveying to the public.

So my recommendation is that both organizations and individuals perform a “sustainability audit” of all their activities to determine where they may be taking more than they’re giving back and are most out of balance.

Once you’ve armed yourself with such knowledge, you’ll be in a far better position to take incremental steps to get things back in balance. In fact, setting specific goals is something you can do whenever an idea hits you. Just make sure to communicate it to yourself (even if via a note on the refrigerator on the bathroom mirror), and if you manage a company, to inform all your employees what it is you plan to do.

And don't be afraid to explain what you’ve learned or the processes by which you hope to make your operation a more sustainable entity. I think you’ll find that both your employees and stakeholders will be extremely supportive of you for taking the initiative to identify where a greater sense of balance can be achieved. And you can be as creative and thoughtful in striving toward this objective as you are in formulating your business plan.

Just keep in mind that sustainability is not something it would simply be nice to achieve, but rather something we have to bring about if our society is to remain viable. As we’re becoming ever more aware, our resources are finite. They have to be replaced, or they will eventually be depleted (and, at our present rate of development, probably a lot sooner than we think). And remember, too that it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition – doing things on an incremental basis is good. So get started.