In French, sustainability often refers primarily to financial issues, with debt sustainability, for example, being both a political and managerial concern. However, the French language also offers a different perspective on sustainability, in the sense of what can be endured or supported. Sustainability is the idea that goods and services should be produced in such a way that they do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment. It is a form of development that can be supported within societal and environmental limits. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shares this view, defining sustainability as a state in which all systems (environmental, social, economic) are able to meet present needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs. The sustainability of a country or organization is therefore the goal of sustainable development.
