ABSTRACT
In keeping with the need for balance and concerns for the future, and coexisting with corporate governance and social responsibility principles, is the concept of sustainability. The word sustainability is derived from the Latin sustinere (tenere, to hold; sus, up) and is ‘the capacity to endure’. In other words it is the ability of the information service and its parent organization to:
tolerate and survive in continuously changing and challenging circumstances;
ensure the long-term maintenance of well-being, which in turn depends on the well-being of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources; and, in support of these
make decisions and manage programmes and projects in a manner that maximizes benefits to the natural environment, humans and their cultures and communities, while maintaining or enhancing financial viability.
In order to achieve the above, sustainability needs to be incorporated into core values, taken into account in ensuring effective governance and decision making within the information service, and considered and incorporated into information service delivery. Protecting the environment isn’t the whole story. Organizations must consider their social, economic and cultural impact as well. From a management perspective, sustainability is a holistic process that takes into consideration every dimension of the business environment. It involves incorporating a whole-of-life approach, balancing short-term needs with society’s and the organization’s long-term interests, as well as ensuring that resources are used no faster than they are renewed. The latter is known as living within the carrying capacity and can be applied to intangible items such as education and skills development or developing trust and respect in people, as well as the tangible environment of water facilities and ecosystems.