{"id":22039,"date":"2022-03-28T11:24:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T09:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=22039"},"modified":"2025-09-26T08:24:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T06:24:31","slug":"the-shifting-landscape-of-sustainability-legislation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/the-shifting-landscape-of-sustainability-legislation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Shifting Landscape of Sustainability Legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s undeniable: the need for sustainability has reached new levels of urgency<\/a><\/strong>. Sustainable business practices offer organisations and society a solution to some of our most significant modern challenges and the key to a resilient future for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we continue to come to grips with the consequences of our industrialised lifestyle, governments and global organisations are grappling with the drastic changes needed to avoid an imminent climate change tipping point.1<\/sup> At the same time, social inequality continues to be a pressing issue, restricting access to equitable living conditions for billions worldwide.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question of how to combat these twin ills while maintaining economic development and well-being on a large scale is one that governments, businesses, and global organisations are confronting through various policies, agreements, and laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operating a business in this environment means navigating the shifting waters of sustainability legislation \u2013 a challenging but necessary step. For many organisations, environmental and sustainability legislation is the catalyst they need to move from intention to implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it perhaps time to brush up on the relevant legislation to drive sustainability in your organisation? Then read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding sustainability and sustainable development<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Let\u2019s start by distinguishing between sustainability and sustainable development. The first term, sustainability, is generally considered a long-term goal or ideal (a future in which environmental, societal, and economic considerations are in balance). Sustainable development, in turn, comprises all the processes and routes taken to achieve this end goal (e.g. sustainable agriculture and forestry, sustainable production and consumption, good government, research and technology transfer, education and training).3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humankind has been concerned with the environment for much of our shared history. However, sustainability, as we know it today, is a recent phenomenon, with its current meaning only recently established. The Oxford English Dictionary<\/em> described it as the \u201cavoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.\u201d4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consciously driving sustainability means understanding the benefits of adopting the broader environmental, social, and (corporate) governance (ESG) criteria. These criteria are focused on doing business in a responsible way and include corporations\u2019 attempts to mitigate the effects of climate change. The videos shared below cover the essential aspects of climate resilience and highlight the myriad opportunities available to businesses navigating the fight against climate change:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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