The current furore over Dubai World's inability to pay back billions in loans serves as a cautionary tale for those that fail to consider the sustainability of their actions. In the boom years, Dubai was a shining beacon of development. Barely a week went by without the announcement of yet another improbably ambitious project. The tallest skyscraper in history? Why not? A cluster of private islands modelled on the countries of the world? What could possibly go wrong?

To employ a tired cliché, it now appears that these undertakings were all built on sand. The bubble has burst and those gung ho pioneers who bet the farm on Dubai becoming some kind of Disneyland for millionaires now find themselves in the shadow of a teetering pile of debt. The emirate's troubles are the most glaring example of financially unsustainable business practices and directly mirror the environmental sustainability challenges now facing the construction industry. Just as we cannot rely on an inexhaustible supply of easy credit, so we cannot expect the Earth's resources to be limitless.

Traditionally, sustainability issues have generally been viewed as little more than an imposition, a box to be ticked if a company is to meet its corporate social responsibility targets. At time of writing, the UN Climate conference is just about to get underway in Copenhagen. Even if this gathering serves up little more than hot air, greater regulation of carbon emissions and a stronger focus on the impact we all have on the environment is a certainty in the not too distant future. This change is coming and those that fail to respond will see themselves left behind.

This means that the design and construction companies need to stop thinking of sustainability as a chore and get serious about building it into their processes from the ground up. If the rewards of protecting the environment don't seem significant enough on their own, look at the drive towards sustainability as a tool for improving how the business works. Making better use of resources and streamlining processes to generate less waste makes sense regardless of exactly why it's being done. Being known as a low carbon company will also have advantages in the kind of clients it is possible to attract and the kinds of people who want to work for you. Green credentials are becoming increasingly valuable as business differentiator.

Ultimately, sustainability won't just be about the survival of the planet, it will also be a key factor in the survival of companies and even whole industries. If Dubai's plight has taught us anything, it is that taking the supply of an essential resource for granted can have grave consequences.