Making Sustainability Operational: Coping with Contextual Circumstances

Abstract

Sustainability, popularised by the Brundtland Commission’s report (1987), has become a key guideline in urban governance. To operationalise this concept, governments frequently employ sustainability indicators (SIs). While common sets of indicators, such as those from the UN, provide global benchmarks and stimulate national and local initiatives, their application must be adapted to local socio-economic, political, and institutional contexts. This paper examines cases from London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and Singapore, showing how sustainability is defined and prioritised differently across contexts. The authors argue for a two-way approach: SIs should be tailored to local policy frameworks while a common set of indicators remains necessary as a benchmark to inspire reflection and innovation. Making sustainability operational thus requires balancing generic principles with contextual adaptation in the design and application of indicators.