In response to the gradual disappearance of forests in Saxony, Germany, Hans Carl von Carlowitz, a German forester, used a term called sustainability in his book ‘Sylviculture Oeconomica or the Instructions for Wild Tree Cultivation’ published in 1713. Sustainability means improving the quality of human life within the limits of nature.

The concept of ‘sustainable development,’ which is widely used today, was first introduced in the United Nations’ Brundtland Report <Our Common Future>, which was jointly adopted by UNEP(United Nations Environment Programme) and WCED(World Commission on Environment and Development) in 1987. Sustainable development refers to development that satisfies the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainable development pursues a symbiosis between humans and resources, harmony between development and conservation, balance between future and present generations, and so forth. Today, companies are striving to create a sustainable society based on a balanced integration of economic profitability, social responsibility, and environmental soundness to achieve SDGs(Sustainable Development Goals), which are closely linked to ESG(Environment, Social, Governance) and UNGC(UN Global Compact’s ten principles.
In addition, with a growing demand for consideration of not only short-term profit generation in corporate operations but also social and environmental impacts in the business process, sustainability management* has become a management guideline that all companies must pursue today.

* Sustainability Management: Management activities that pursue the sustainable development of humankind based on responsibility for the economy, society, and environment, which affect companies

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