Sstnbl grcltr s frmng n sstnbl wys mtng scty's prsnt fd nd txtl nds, wtht cmprmsng th blty fr crrnt r ftr gnrtns t mt thr nds. t cn b bsd n n ndrstndng f csystm srvcs. Thr r mny mthds t ncrs th sstnblty f grcltr. Whn dvlpng grcltr wthn sstnbl fd systms, t s mprtnt t dvlp flxbl bsnss prcsss nd frmng prctcs. grcltr hs n nrms nvrnmntl ftprnt, plyng sgnfcnt rl n csng clmt chng (fd systms r rspnsbl fr n thrd f th nthrpgnc grnhs gs mssns), wtr scrcty, wtr plltn, lnd dgrdtn, dfrsttn nd thr prcsss; t s smltnsly csng nvrnmntl chngs nd bng mpctd by ths chngs. Sstnbl grcltr cnssts f nvrnmnt frndly mthds f frmng tht llw th prdctn f crps r lvstck wtht csng dmg t hmn r ntrl systms. t nvlvs prvntng dvrs ffcts n sl, wtr, bdvrsty, nd srrndng r dwnstrm rsrcs, s wll s t ths wrkng r lvng n th frm r n nghbrng rs. lmnts f sstnbl grcltr cn ncld prmcltr, grfrstry, mxd frmng, mltpl crppng, nd crp rttn.
Dvlpng sstnbl fd systms cntrbts t th sstnblty f th hmn ppltn. Fr xmpl, n f th bst wys t mtgt clmt chng s t crt sstnbl fd systms bsd n sstnbl grcltr. Sstnbl grcltr prvds ptntl sltn t nbl grcltrl systms t fd grwng ppltn wthn th chngng nvrnmntl cndtns. Bsds sstnbl frmng prctcs, dtry shfts t sstnbl dts r n ntrtwnd wy t sbstntlly rdc nvrnmntl mpcts. Nmrs sstnblty stndrds nd crtfctn systms xst, ncldng rgnc crtfctn, Rnfrst llnc, Fr Trd, TZ Crtfd, GlblGP, Brd Frndly, nd th Cmmn Cd fr th Cff Cmmnty (4C).