This note, GEN 27, originally published in June 1999, was reviewed by Engineers Australia in April, 2005. This policy is now considered out of date and is being rewritten.
Sustainability is the ability to maintain a high quality of life for all people, both now and in the future, while ensuring the maintenance of the ecological processes on which life depends and the continued availability of the natural resources needed.
Sustainability is the ability to maintain a desired condition over time. Sustainable development is a tool for achieving sustainability, not the desired goal.