The multi-faceted concept of "sustainability debt" (i.e. how technical debt can be used to identify and communicate about the effects of software design decisions on sustainability) discussed in Betz et al., [2015] reflects the hidden effect of past design decisions as a negative factor affecting the five sustainability dimensions including the economic issue of long-term costs.
@Venters.etal.2018.SoftwareSustainabilityResearch
Sustainability Debt: A Metaphor to Support Sustainability Design Decisions (PDF)
Stefanie Betz, Christoph Becker, Ruzanna Chitchyan, Leticia Duboc, Steve M. Easterbrook, Birgit Penzenstadler, Norbert Seyff, Colin C. Venters