Sustainability as a source of competitive advantage for the ceramic industry

Sustainability and sustainable development are two widely used terms in every field of human activity, so it can be difficult to gain a clear understanding of exactly what is meant when they are used. Sustainability is defined as meeting today’s needs in a way that does not prevent future generations from meeting their own, while at the same time ensuring a balance between economic growth, care for the environment and social well-being. Hence the idea of sustainable development as a form of progress that maintains this delicate balance today without endangering future resources. On the basis of this we can formulate a number of other concepts: environmental sustainability, which means conserving biodiversity without sacrificing economic and social progress; economic sustainability, which ensures that activities aiming to achieve environmental and social sustainability are profitable; and social sustainability, which focuses on the cohesion and stability of the population. In short, sustainability and sustainable development are both based on the principle that available resources must not be depleted indiscriminately, natural environments must be protected and everyone must have access to equal opportunities. In this article we will describe how these definitions can be applied to the real-world operating conditions of companies, with particular reference to the ceramic sector.