What is the definition of sustainability?

• A. Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• B. Increasing consumption today
• C. Reducing all environmental impact to zero
• D. Focusing only on economic growth

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is what sustainability means in practice: meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In DT terms, this also ties to thinking about a product's whole life cycle—materials, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life—so resources aren’t exhausted and harm to the environment is minimized over time. That definition is the best because it explicitly includes both current responsibility and future continuity. The other ideas miss this balance: just increasing consumption today wears down resources; expecting zero environmental impact isn’t realistic; and focusing only on economic growth ignores environmental and social factors.