Sustainability theory and the design of knowledge tools

Widespread support for the concept of sustainable development has developed over the last decade, and many organizations have adopted it as an important goal. However, the concept remains vague and wide disagreement still exists on what is sustainable, and what is not. The usual definitions do not specify what kind of knowledge is required in a sustainable civilization, nor how it should be treated. As it is often understood, the concept cannot be readily applied to everyday decisions. This paper presents some of the basic conceptual understandings of sustainability that have been developed in the interdisciplinary field of ecological economics, and outlines the implications for the design of knowledge tools. In addition, some of the difficulties in using a conventional economic framework in considering sustainability are mentioned.