The big picture is sustainability

As concern over the environment grows, so does the casual use of the word sustainability. That’s why it is so important to understand what it really means.

In a broad sense, sustainability means maintaining a certain process or state into the future. Applied to the environment, it means the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In the context of living, it means replenishing the earth’s resources at the rate at which we use them—a feat that becomes increasingly difficult to achieve as the world’s population grows.

The human factor

While the concept of sustainability—of only taking what we need and replenishing what we use—is not a new one, it has taken on a new urgency in the 21st century. Never before has a problem and its solution been as collective and all-encompassing as the threat of global warming on our planet.

Make no mistake about it: everything we do as humans has an impact on sustainability. In North America, we are not living the most sustainable life possible. From driving our cars to powering our homes to building our cities, we consume about twice the amount of energy per capita when compared to Europe, and we are using more than we’re replenishing. In fact, according to the World Bank, the U.S. and Canada are among the top five emitters of carbon dioxide on a per capita basis—both well above the average of large income countries.

But that’s the bad news. The good news is that as awareness of the climate crisis grows—and with it, acceptance of the human role in causing it—more and more individuals, organizations, corporations and even entire movements are dedicating themselves to sustainable living. ACCIONA is proud to stand among them. We are committed to pioneering and developing a lasting foundation of sustainability in the U.S. and Canada. In doing so, we strive to strike a balance between the three integrated pillars of sustainability: the generation of economic wellbeing; environmental improvement and renewable energy; and responsibility toward society. We hope you will join us on this journey.

Get started today by reading up on the essential elements of life—air, wind, sun, water, ecosystems and, of course, sustainable living—and the human impact on them. Together we can sustain our natural resources for future generations to enjoy. Together we can live sustainability.