OGDEN, Utah – “Green” and “sustainable” are terms that point to environmental awareness and preserving natural resources.
- “Green” is strictly concerned with the environmental health.
- “Sustainable” is concerned with environmental health, economic vitality, and social benefits.
- Sustainability includes aspects of going green, but green products does are not inherently sustainable.
At the surface level, they can appear to mean the same thing: these terms both point to environmental awareness and responsibility. They also touch on preserving natural resources and saving the environment for future generations. However, green and sustainable do not mean the same thing. There are major differences in their meanings that make it incorrect to use the two terms interchangeably.
The major difference between green and sustainable stems from the scope and scale of policies and practices. Green operates on one “leg” and is a dimension of sustainability, which operates on three “legs.” Here are basic guidelines that separate green from sustainable.