Sustainability is not a new concept. People have been practicing sustainability for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. You only have to look at a ruined castle or ancient city wall in Europe to know that most of the stones that are now missing have since been recycled as part of the fabric of more modest residences elsewhere.
In Kenya, they have a proverb that captures the very essence of the Sustainability concept: "The world was not given to you by your parents; it was lent to you by your children." The concept was given fresh impetus by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 at which a definition of sustainability was agreed that has stood the test of time very well. The British Coatings Federation led the way forward by interpreting this definition for the coatings industry as follows: