Have you heard the term “Social Sustainability”? You’ve heard of environmental sustainability and that is about keeping the land, water and air healthy for generations to come. The third pillar of sustainability besides social and environmental is economic sustainability, which we’ll write about soon. This month, we wanted to explore social sustainability, what it is and how we can all become more sustainable as a social group, from families, households, neighborhoods, counties, and states, as well as how we interact with each other locally and globally. Here are some tips on how to identify and recognize socially sustainable practices:
- What is social sustainability? According to Australia’s Council of Social Services "Social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal processes; systems; structures; and relationships actively support the capacity of current and future generations to create healthy and livable communities. Socially sustainable communities are equitable, diverse, connected and democratic and provide a good quality of life.” Think about that when you are using your most powerful tool for change, your wallet. Remember that every decision to purchase a service or item carries more than a dollar cost; it also carries the environmental and social costs of producing that good. As business transparency becomes more prevalent we can understand how corporations are affecting the lives--both positively and negatively--of their employees. When we spend our money in the businesses that treat the community and its habitants with respect we will increasingly change the frequency in which we see these positive behaviors.
- How do I know if I am purchasing a product that is socially sustainable? This issue has become such a world-wide concern, that there are now third-party certification processes whereby companies and their products can be determined as humanely grown, with fair treatment of the workers in every step of the product’s life-cycle, and using environmentally sustainable practices in their water, energy and waste systems. For example, Free2Work, a project of Not For Sale, highlights human trafficking and slavery around the world and the products that forced labor produces. Fair Trade certified businesses have been verified to produce products with high social standards promoting safe and healthy working conditions. This provides transparency ensuring that communities are thriving because of their business partnerships. These are just a couple examples of third party verifications that can help you make an informed decision of where to spend your money.
- What are some other ways I can be more involved in social sustainability? Invest your time and talent in your community. What about starting a barter group, where you exchange good and services (and not money) with neighbors, friends, and colleagues? Volunteer at a local farm or food bank, or teach a class on something you love. Shop at your local farmer’s market. And keep educating yourself and your community, because, whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all interdependent; we depend on our planet, atmosphere, water, and plant and animal life to survive, so let’s take good care of it!
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