--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A sustainable economy represents nothing…" description: "\"A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused on ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg" --- # A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a… ![“A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused on the health of the planet and the poor than on material acquisitions and military might. While it is a fundamentally new endeavor, with many…” quote by Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg) > “A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused on the health of the planet and the poor than on material acquisitions and military might. While it is a fundamentally new endeavor, with many uncertainties, it is far less risky than continuing with business as usual.” [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A sustainable economy prioritizes long‑term planetary health, equity, and future generations over short‑term material gain and militarism, despite inherent uncertainties. **In simple terms:** Future‑focused, equitable growth. Key Takeaway Shift values from consumption to stewardship. Themes Sustainability Social Justice Intergenerational Ethics Environmental Health Economic Reform Mood Hopeful Urgent Reflective Type Philosophical Policy‑oriented When to use this quote - Urban planning for climate resilience - Corporate ESG strategy - Government budgeting for green infrastructure - Community development in low‑income areas Key Concepts Circular Economy Resource Allocation Policy Innovation Practical Applications - Designing low‑carbon business models - Drafting climate‑responsive public policy Questions to Reflect On - What trade‑offs are acceptable when re‑defining prosperity? - How can we measure success beyond GDP? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquisition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Future generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-generation/) [Future generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-generations/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-order/) [Sustainability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustainability/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [You can't have a sustainable US economy without a great education system. Teach students to do the job right. You don't have an innovative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/you-can-t-have-a-sustainable-us-economy-without-a-great-education/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [Progressive economic policies lead to a sustainable economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/progressive-economic-policies-lead-to-a-sustainable-economy/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [The world is at a big risk from climate change. We have to come up with solutions, to bring in a sustainable economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-tanti/the-world-is-at-a-big-risk-from-climate-change-we-have-to-come-up/) [Tulsi Tanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-tanti/) > [“None of us commences life utterly alone. We each carry within our granular mass the protoplasm residue of past generations’ ideas, customs, values, infatuations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/none-of-us-commences-life-utterly-alone-we-each-carry-within-our/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Sustainable Development is more than meeting the needs of today and the future generations; to my understanding this definition better fits sex industry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/sustainable-development-is-more-than-meeting-the-needs-of-today-and/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gro-harlem-brundtland/sustainable-development-is-development-that-meets-the-needs-of-the/) [Gro Harlem Brundtland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gro-harlem-brundtland/) > [Investing in women's lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations - and consequently in our own long-term national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/investing-in-women-s-lives-is-an-investment-in-sustainable/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) > [Only after people express their anger and sadness over the broken dreams of material prosperity will they turn to the task of building a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/only-after-people-express-their-anger-and-sadness-over-the-broken/) [Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/) > [...there's no such thing as sustainability. There are just levels of it. It's a process, not a real goal. All you can do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/there-s-no-such-thing-as-sustainability-there-are-just-levels-of-it/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [In 2005, I had a blog, where people discussed topics such as a sustainable economy, renewable energy, and broadband coverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beppe-grillo/in-2005-i-had-a-blog-where-people-discussed-topics-such-as-a/) [Beppe Grillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beppe-grillo/) > [Addressing the climate and biodiversity crises requires us to radically change our economic models, moving away from economic growth as the over-riding measure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/addressing-the-climate-and-biodiversity-crises-requires-us-to/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [Russia should be an effective and competitive state with a sustainable economy, developed social and political system flexible to changes domestically and globally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/russia-should-be-an-effective-and-competitive-state-with-a/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [For a competitive and sustainable economy, the U.S. must have a skilled and well-trained workforce that can meet the evolving needs of industry, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/for-a-competitive-and-sustainable-economy-the-u-s-must-have-a-skilled/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [We know what we have to do. And we know how to do it. If we fail to convert our self-destructing economy into one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/we-know-what-we-have-to-do-and-we-know-how-to-do-it-if-we-fail-to/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [The challenge is either to build an economy that is sustainable or to stay with our unsustainable economy until it declines. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/the-challenge-is-either-to-build-an-economy-that-is-sustainable-or-to/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) ## More by Lester R. Brown > [The challenge is either to build an economy that is sustainable or to stay with our unsustainable economy until it declines. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/the-challenge-is-either-to-build-an-economy-that-is-sustainable-or-to/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [We are witnessing the beginning of one of the great tragedies of history. The United States, in a misguided effort to reduce its oil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/we-are-witnessing-the-beginning-of-one-of-the-great-tragedies-of/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [The problem with water, though, is that the shortfalls don't show up until the very end. You can go on pumping unsustainably until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/the-problem-with-water-though-is-that-the-shortfalls-don-t-show-up/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [In Mexico City, Tehran, Kolkata, Bangkok, Shanghai, and hundreds of other cities, the air is no longer safe to breathe. In some cities, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/in-mexico-city-tehran-kolkata-bangkok-shanghai-and-hundreds-of-other/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [We can build an economy that does not destroy its natural support systems, a global community where the basic needs of all the Earth's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/we-can-build-an-economy-that-does-not-destroy-its-natural-support/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [The throwaway economy that has been evolving over the last half-century is an aberration, now itself headed for the junk heap of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/the-throwaway-economy-that-has-been-evolving-over-the-last-half/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Among the environmental trends undermining our future are shrinking forests, expanding deserts, falling water tables, collapsing fisheries, disappearing species, and rising temperatures. The temperature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/among-the-environmental-trends-undermining-our-future-are-shrinking/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [One way or another, the choice will be made by our generation, but it will affect life on earth for all generations to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/one-way-or-another-the-choice-will-be-made-by-our-generation-but-it/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Our numbers expand, but Earth's natural systems do not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/our-numbers-expand-but-earth-s-natural-systems-do-not/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Yet, most of the readily accessible reserves of oil formed over hundreds of millions of years will be consumed within a single generation, spanning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/yet-most-of-the-readily-accessible-reserves-of-oil-formed-over/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Our early 21st century civilization is in trouble. We need not go beyond the world food economy to see this. Over the last few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/our-early-21st-century-civilization-is-in-trouble-we-need-not-go/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Children whose developing lungs are particularly vulnerable suffer the most from air pollution. For children, breathing the air in cities with the worst pollution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/children-whose-developing-lungs-are-particularly-vulnerable-suffer/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [The 20th century was the time when the world turned to use of fossil fuels and the 21st century will be the century of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/the-20th-century-was-the-time-when-the-world-turned-to-use-of-fossil/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [The foundation is being laid for the emergence of both wind and solar cells as cornerstones of the new energy economy. World wind generating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/the-foundation-is-being-laid-for-the-emergence-of-both-wind-and-solar/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Rising oil prices have focused the world's attention on the depletion of oil reserves. But the depletion of underground water resources from overpumping is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/rising-oil-prices-have-focused-the-world-s-attention-on-the-depletion/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) [Explore all 45 Lester R. Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) ## More Acquisition quotes > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition. Your qualifications are not your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/personal-happiness-lies-in-knowing-that-life-is-not-a-checklist-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Learning to play the guitar is a combination of mental and motor skill acquisition. And to develop motor skill, repetition is essential... Whenever musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-roberts/learning-to-play-the-guitar-is-a-combination-of-mental-and-motor/) [Howard Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-roberts/) > [All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milarepa/all-worldly-pursuits-have-but-one-unavoidable-and-inevitable-end/) [Milarepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milarepa/) > [When ice appears out of doors, and boys seize it up while it is solid, at first they experience new pleasures. But in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/when-ice-appears-out-of-doors-and-boys-seize-it-up-while-it-is-solid/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Accounting consequences do not influence our operating or capital-allocation decisions. When acquisition costs are similar, we much prefer to purchase $2 of earnings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/accounting-consequences-do-not-influence-our-operating-or-capital/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [One industrial age belief is that GDP or GNP is a measure of progress. I don't care if you're the President of China or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-industrial-age-belief-is-that-gdp-or-gnp-is-a-measure-of-progress/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [I ended up doing four or five plays in college and being an English major with my thesis in language acquisition, which I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-ended-up-doing-four-or-five-plays-in-college-and-being-an-english/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [But most automotive dealerships are set up for customer acquisition - which is crazy when you consider the average cost of customer acquisition is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hughes/but-most-automotive-dealerships-are-set-up-for-customer-acquisition/) Arthur Hughes > [As priestcraft was always the enemy of knowledge, because priestcraft supports itself by keeping people in delusion and ignorance, it was consistent with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-priestcraft-was-always-the-enemy-of-knowledge-because-priestcraft/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-as-the-unborn-babe-is-in-the-womb-of-his-mother-these-five-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What becomes of a man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/what-becomes-of-a-man-who-acquires-a-beautiful-woman-with-her-beauty/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“He had no idea who bought his books, how they acquired the money to buy them. Perhaps they were saints, perhaps they were criminals...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-langer/he-had-no-idea-who-bought-his-books-how-they-acquired-the-money-to/) [Adam Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-langer/) [Browse all 395 Acquisition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused on the health of the planet and the poor than on material acquisitions and military might. While it is a fundamentally new endeavor, with many uncertainties, it is far less risky than continuing with business as usual.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lester R. Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acquisition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24b/lester-r-brown-14706_acquisition_a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing_77073.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future…” — Lester R. Brown", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lester R. Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A sustainable economy represents nothing less...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```