The scientific definition of sustainability

For a while now we have been trying to make sense of the question: What is sustainability exactly? After all, without a clear measurable definition, how can we ever know if we have done enough to make our society sustainable? Or too little? Would it even be possible to do too much? Much has been written about what sustainability entails: for example, the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations [1], the Doughnut Economy framework by Kate Raworth [2], and the concept of ecological footprint [3]. In this article, however, we dive into the science underneath.