The 3 pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic (2024)

FAQs

The 3 pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic? ›

Sustainability's three main pillars represent environmental concerns, socially responsible practices, and economic cooperation. These three pillars are also informally referred to as people, planet, purpose, and profits. It's useful to understand the terms sometimes used in place of the three pillars.

Today, we want to take a deeper dive into the concept of the 3 P's of Sustainability: People, Planet, and Profit. By understanding the interplay between these pillars, businesses can unlock new opportunities for growth, create a positive societal impact, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

While many community dynamics are at work, three are particularly important to building healthy and prosperous communities over the long term: economy, ecology, and equity—the three E's. Economy is the management and use of resources to meet household and community needs.

The principles of sustainability are the foundations of what this concept represents. Therefore, sustainability is made up of three pillars: the economy, society, and the environment. These principles are also informally used as profit, people and planet.

So by replacing economics with strategy, the Three Pillar model (strategy, law, ethics) becomes a framework that is more appropriate for all forms of business, leadership, and personal decision making.

Sustainability is an essential part of facing current and future global challenges, not only those related to the environment.

We just need to harness its power through a simple mantra of collection, coordination, and collaboration.

Sustainability in the broadest sense means the ability of something to maintain or “sustain” itself over time. Academically, its precise definition has varied from person to person, field to field, but by and large, all definitions include three distinct “dimensions”: social, economic, and environmental.

What are the 3 Principles of Sustainability? The three principles, or pillars, of the sustainability of life on this planet are 1) solar energy 🌞 , 2) biodiversity 🐸 , and 3) nutrient cycling 🔄 . Each of these themes interacts with one another and earth's systems to sustain life.

The 3 social factors of sustainability are (1) Social equity and inclusion, (2) Community engagement and participation, and (3) Access to basic services and resources.

What is the 3 pillars system? ›

The three-pillar system has been enshrined in the Federal Swiss constitution since 1972. It is based on the interaction between state protection of basic livelihood, occupational benefits insurance (which includes employers), and tax-privileged private pension provision.

The three pillars are a central symbol in Freemasonry, and are believed to represent the three pillars of wisdom, strength, and beauty.

The Three Pillars Method is a toolset for when interactions don't go well. Generally using a transactional view of realtionships isn't a good way to make friends, but it is a great way to check relationship health when something goes wrong.

These three aspects provide the basis for the 3 Ps: People, Planet & Profit. It is an art to ensure that the 3 Ps in daily business activities are and remain in balance.

If you want your business to succeed, you absolutely must focus on three key variables: people, process, and product. The three Ps, as they're often called, provide the highest return for your efforts because they act as the cornerstone for everything your business does.

This year it is 25 years ago that John Elkington coined the “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profit (also known as the 3Ps, TBL or 3BL). Up to today it is still gaining popularity and it has become part of everyday business language.

The social pillar, or 'people,' emphasizes fair business practices for employees and the community. The environmental pillar, 'planet,' encourages responsible use of resources to protect the environment. The economic pillar, 'profit,' involves creating economic value that also considers environmental and social costs.