ohållbar

Ohållbar is a Swedish adjective meaning not sustainable. It is used to describe systems, processes, or practices that cannot maintain their current state or meet present needs without undermining the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The negation is formed with the prefix o-, and the word is commonly contrasted with hållbar, sustainable, especially in discussions of hållbar utveckling, sustainable development.

In discourse, ohållbar describes environmental, economic, and social dynamics that are environmentally damaging, resource-intensive, or inequitable. Typical contexts include fossil fuel dependence, overexploitation of natural resources, deforestation, pollution, and energy or material flows that exceed the planet’s capacity. Indicators often cited to support such judgments include high ecological footprints relative to biocapacity, rapid resource depletion, rising emissions, biodiversity loss, and persistent social or economic inequality.

Acknowledging ohållbar is intended to motivate transition toward hållbar outcomes, such as decarbonization, circular economy, sustainable consumption and production, and improved governance and resilience. The term is descriptive but can be value-laden and context-dependent; what is ohållbar in one timeframe or setting may be evaluated differently in another.

See also: hållbar utveckling; ecological footprint; planetary boundaries; sustainable energy.