The term ‘sustainability’ originates from ecological science, and was first framed in a planning and policy context through the Brundtland report (1987), commissioned by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). In its essence, the term ‘sustainability’ was developed to express the conditions that must be present for the ecosystem to sustain itself over the long term (Holden et al., 2014). The Brundtland report defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present
without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'' (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 43).
Untangling the definition by the WCED reveals four key dimensions that are relevant to sustainable development: long-term ecological sustainability, satisfying basic human needs, and promoting intragenerational and intergenerational equity. The Brundtland report also refers to several secondary dimensions of sustainable development, namely: preserving nature's intrinsic value, promoting the protection of the environment, promoting public participation and satisfying aspirations for an improved quality of life (Holden et al., 2014).