Sstnblty s scl gl fr ppl t c-xst n rth vr lng prd f tm. Dfntns f ths trm r dsptd nd hv vrd wth ltrtr, cntxt, nd tm. Sstnblty slly hs thr dmnsns (r pllrs): nvrnmntl, cnmc, nd scl. Mny dfntns mphsz th nvrnmntl dmnsn. Ths cn ncld ddrssng ky nvrnmntl prblms, ncldng clmt chng nd bdvrsty lss. Th d f sstnblty cn gd dcsns t th glbl, ntnl, rgnztnl, nd ndvdl lvls. rltd cncpt s tht f sstnbl dvlpmnt, nd th trms r ftn sd t mn th sm thng. NSC dstngshs th tw lk ths: "Sstnblty s ftn thght f s lng-trm gl (.. mr sstnbl wrld), whl sstnbl dvlpmnt rfrs t th mny prcsss nd pthwys t chv t."
Dtls rnd th cnmc dmnsn f sstnblty r cntrvrsl. Schlrs hv dscssd ths ndr th cncpt f wk nd strng sstnblty. Fr xmpl, thr wll lwys b tnsn btwn th ds f "wlfr nd prsprty fr ll" nd nvrnmntl cnsrvtn, s trd-ffs r ncssry. t wld b dsrbl t fnd wys tht sprt cnmc grwth frm hrmng th nvrnmnt. Ths mns sng fwr rsrcs pr nt f tpt vn whl grwng th cnmy. Ths dcplng rdcs th nvrnmntl mpct f cnmc grwth, sch s plltn. Dng ths s dffclt. Sm xprts sy thr s n vdnc tht sch dcplng s hppnng t th rqrd scl.
t s chllngng t msr sstnblty s th cncpt s cmplx, cntxtl, nd dynmc. ndctrs hv bn dvlpd t cvr th nvrnmnt, scty, r th cnmy bt thr s n fxd dfntn f sstnblty ndctrs. Th mtrcs r vlvng nd ncld ndctrs, bnchmrks nd dts. Thy ncld sstnblty stndrds nd crtfctn systms lk Frtrd nd rgnc. Thy ls nvlv ndcs nd ccntng systms sch s crprt sstnblty rprtng nd Trpl Bttm Ln ccntng.
t s ncssry t ddrss mny brrrs t sstnblty t chv sstnblty trnstn r sstnblty trnsfrmtn.: 34 Sm brrrs rs frm ntr nd ts cmplxty whl thrs r xtrnsc t th cncpt f sstnblty. Fr xmpl, thy cn rslt frm th dmnnt nstttnl frmwrks n cntrs.
Glbl sss f sstnblty r dffclt t tckl s thy nd glbl sltns. xstng glbl rgnztns sch s th N nd WT r sn s nffcnt n nfrcng crrnt glbl rgltns. n rsn fr ths s th lck f stbl snctnng mchnsms.: 135–145 Gvrnmnts r nt th nly srcs f ctn fr sstnblty. Fr xmpl, bsnss grps hv trd t ntgrt clgcl cncrns wth cnmc ctvty, skng sstnbl bsnss. Rlgs ldrs hv strssd th nd fr crng fr ntr nd nvrnmntl stblty. ndvdls cn ls lv mr sstnbly.
Sm ppl hv crtczd th d f sstnblty. n pnt f crtcsm s tht th cncpt s vg nd nly bzzwrd. nthr s tht sstnblty mght b n mpssbl gl. Sm xprts hv pntd t tht "n cntry s dlvrng wht ts ctzns nd wtht trnsgrssng th bphyscl plntry bndrs".: 11