sostenibilidad
nounCEFR B2
What does “sostenibilidad” mean in English?
sustainability — the capacity of a system or model to be maintained over the long term without depleting resources or causing irreversible harm
sustainability — the capacity of a system or model to be maintained over the long term without depleting resources or causing irreversible harm (la sostenibilidad del modelo)
Example sentences
El informe cuestiona la sostenibilidad del modelo de pensiones a medida que aumenta la proporción de jubilados respecto a la población activa.
The report questions the sustainability of the pensions model as the proportion of retirees relative to the active population increases.
La sostenibilidad no puede ser solo un eslogan: exige cambios estructurales en la forma en que producimos, consumimos y nos desplazamos.
Sustainability cannot just be a slogan: it requires structural changes in the way we produce, consume, and travel.
Asegurar la sostenibilidad a largo plazo del sistema de salud público es uno de los mayores retos políticos de las próximas décadas.
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of the public health system is one of the greatest political challenges of the coming decades.
How to use it
La sostenibilidad means 'sustainability' — the capacity of a system to be maintained over the long term without exhausting its resource base or causing irreversible harm. It is one of the central terms of contemporary public discourse at B2+, appearing in environmental, economic, and social contexts. Key collocations: la sostenibilidad del modelo, la sostenibilidad económica/ambiental/social, garantizar la sostenibilidad, poner en riesgo la sostenibilidad. The adjective sostenible and the noun sostenibilidad are both essential — they co-occur in the same texts constantly.
Common mistake
Sostenibilidad is now widely used beyond environmental contexts — financial, social, and institutional sustainability are all expressed with this word. Don't limit its translation to 'environmental sustainability'. The adjective sostenible (sustainable) and the adverb de forma sostenible (sustainably) are equally important. False cognate risk is low here — 'sustainability' aligns well.