When environmental and social sustainability converge, they give rise to equitable sustainability, subsequently leading to tolerable sustainability. The fusion of economic and social sustainability results in the inception of sustainable development, with economic sustainability emerging as the subsequent principle. This tenet ensures responsible resource utilization by businesses to generate operational profits, thereby providing a sustainable advantage for future development.

The nation's ability to enhance its economic value, which poses potential threats to the other two pillars, hinges on the judicious use of natural resources. Sustainable viability can be achieved by integrating environmental and economic sustainability. To establish a genuinely sustainable circular economy, a measurable integration of all three pillars is imperative.

The impact of natural and environmental resource utilization extends across every sector of the economy. Activities such as extraction, processing, manufacturing, transportation, consumption, and disposal alter natural resource stocks, stress environmental systems, and introduce waste to environmental media. Additionally, economic activities have intertemporal welfare impacts, influencing the supply of natural resources accessible for future welfare. The availability and quality of natural and environmental resources are considered contributing factors to the economic system's productivity from this perspective.