The Saxon nobleman and forester Hans Carl von Carlowitz (1645-1714) is considered to be the father of the concept of sustainability. He observed the massive overexploitation of the Saxon forest. The mining industry with its ore mines and smelters, but also the growing population, needed ever larger quantities of wood. There were no regulated silviculture or even ecological standards at that time. Carlowitz therefore demanded that no more wood be removed from the forest than can grow back in the same period of time. He demanded a respectful treatment of nature. At the same time, his considerations were also driven by economic motives. Because a lack of wood would have meant the gradual decline of mining in the Erzgebirge (at that time one of the largest mining areas in Europe). The same principle is followed by the concept of resource efficiency, according to which all resources should be used carefully and thus sustainably. Article 104a of the Swiss Federal Constitution calls for sustainable, resource-efficient and resource-conserving development of the agricultural and food industry.

From sustainability to sustainable development

The concept of sustainable development, which is still recognized today, comes from the United Nations World Commission for Environment and Development, founded in 1983 (also known as the Brundtland Commission). The decisive finding of the Brundtland Report submitted in 1987 was that sustainability can only be achieved if social, economic and ecological goals are not pitted against each other, but treated as equals. The Brundtland report gives the following definition: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without the risk that future generations will not be able to meet their own needs." The concept of sustainability as a triangle made up of ecology, economy and social issues has established itself to this day. This also gives rise to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations in 2015.