Sustainable development is the process of creating the products and systems that are needed in today's society without sacrificing the ability of future generations and societies to create the products and systems needed to sustain their own lifestyles and needs. Its study involves learning how to use natural resources without depleting them. It looks at environmental issues such as water, air quality, and climate change that can impact quality of life. Current and future economic factors are also explored as part of this expansive field of study.‎

If your goal is to enter a field that combines humanitarianism with economics or business management, learning about sustainable development opens up a wide range of opportunities. Sustainability is one of the cornerstones of social corporate responsibility and additionally plays an important role in international trade.

Career opportunities are fairly broad for professionals in the sustainable development field because you could meet with people who are affected by corporate decisions and prepare reports about your findings. Additionally, you could work in an office setting as part of a group brainstorming environmentally friendly ways to develop a new product, among many other options.

Increasing your understanding of sustainable development can help you add an exciting edge to your career because it helps you stay on top of current sustainability issues. You're also able to bridge gaps between the manufacturing of things and processes that already exist and the needs of future generations.‎

Business management and engineering are two of the fields that employ many of the people who work in sustainable development. Knowledge of sustainability is required for both effective decision-making for business leaders and for engineers in the areas of product development and building architectural structures. Some other fields where sustainability professionals work include political science, education, technology, and energy.‎