In 1987, the Bruntland Commission defined sustainable development as follows:

“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

A common concept in discussing sustainability is that of the seventh generation, attributed to the Great Law (or Constitution) of the Iroquois Nation*, and often quoted as follows:

“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

What if every one of our actions was made with the thought of future generations – especially those beyond our own lifetime? What would change? What would we need to know?

While there are many unanswered questions yet about the impact of our actions, this is nonetheless the heart of sustainable design, trying to get through the maze of information to minimize the impact on future generations.

*Note:  While this “seventh generation” quote is frequently attributed to the Constitution of the Iroquois Nation, my quick Google search of the actual Constitution text yielded this: “

Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground — the unborn of the future Nation.” 

Can anyone shed more light on this?