Sustainable development: applicability and trends

Abstract

This article aims to explore the concept of sustainable development, beginning with its historical background, analyzing its definition and implications, and subsequently identifying its social, economic, and ecological components. The analysis delves into various perspectives—contextual, conceptual, disciplinary, and geopolitical—while addressing limitations regarding the concept's clarity and applicability. It highlights the different types of sustainability—very strong, strong, and weak—and examines how the current economic system shapes the interrelationships among the system's components, emphasizing the paramount role of ecological conservation in providing the inputs necessary to bolster social and economic systems. Furthermore, the article analyzes the substantial differences between *sostenibilidad* and *sustentabilidad*, delving into their respective origins and meanings. Finally, it offers a brief analysis of the implications of climate change and the necessary mitigation and adaptation measures required to address a growing crisis that jeopardizes the achievement of sustainability.