Konkrete Nachhaltigkeit

The call for increased sustainability is often justified with reference to future generations’ living conditions. This usually leaves the implications of the steps taken to ensure greater sustainability unclear. In the face of this vagueness and against the backdrop of the ongoing loss of biodiversity, this study addresses the question of what parts of nature we ought to preserve for future generations. An answer is found in the general preconditions for a good life. By analysing human capabilities, the author explores the interdependency between biodiverse nature and a flourishing life. Subsequently, these insights are embedded into an account of social justice and used to specify conservation duties with implications for intergenerational justice. Gradually, a set of guidelines develops which defines the scope of the political commitment to sustainability and instructs fundamental societal decisions with regard to biodiversity loss and intergenerational justice.