Sustainable Development Within A Business

When talking about sustainability numerous people associate it with just protecting the environment. Sustainability is far more than going green, but it is a principle that many companies have adopted and have worked persistently to improve over the last several years. Sustainability is defined as the ability to continue a behavior indeterminately, but it also includes improving human life overall. Sustainable development is broken down into three pillars: economic, social, and environmental (Harich & Bangerter, 2014). Economics is the study of how people use resources, which correlates to the goal of sustainable development by using resources to their full potential (Laszlo, C., & Zhexembayeva, N., 2011, p. 60). Economic sustainable development allows companies to give their customers what they want without overusing mutual resources. Social development combines the social world with the physical realm to provide a good quality of life (Benoit, 2010, p. 7). Social sustainability focuses on the well-being of people and their communities. Environmental development, the most recognizable, includes protecting the environment by reducing pollution, recycling, switching of electronic devices when not in use, etc. All three of these pillars make up what is known as sustainable development. In this paper, I researched a company and their involvement in sustainability and how it applies to the

Although there is no formal definition for the term, individuals have tried to define sustainability according to their function or area of study. The term “sustainability,” once an obscure ecological concept, has now been adopted by many in the business world to connote the principles of social and environmental responsibility (Joseph Fiksel, Jonathan Low and Jim Thomas). Further, sustainability can be seen through the eyes of business as a way to create value. More likely than not, the term sustainability can be linked to the ability of decreasing costs, wastes and inefficiencies. According to the vice president of General Electric,

Sustainability from a strategic business perspective is the potential for the long-term well-being of the natural environment, including all biological entities, as mutually beneficial interactions among nature and individuals, organizations, and business strategies. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). Business sustainably is often defined as managing the triple bottom line – a process by which companies manage their financial, social and environmental risks, obligations and opportunities. These three impacts are sometimes referred to as profits, people and planet. (Business sustainability definition from financial times lexicon, no date). This essay will discuss the idea of sustainability being an important element within a businesses and its core strategies and the importance of it within different businesses. Secondly, this study will look at how different stakeholders are affected and influenced by sustainability as this could be seen as a catalyst to improving the environment as a whole and. Then this study will look at how businesses not focusing

Bertrand Piccard quotes, “In the 21st century, the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more sustainability. This is a powerful message, it sums up the concepts discussed throughout the course. Additionally, the case studies such as the New Belgium Brewery, SC Johnson and The Kimberly Clarke organization have been proven to practice this philosophy. As society progresses in its efforts to provide a more sustainable future, there is a fundamental foundation of principles that must be followed to ensure success. Sustainable business development takes into account the application of business operations as it relates to the three pillars of sustainability, which is a dynamic yet integrative place to begin this journey. DesJardins, (2006) calls for a re-imagination of the future to create a vibrant sustainable model; which forms similar beliefs to Piccard. In addition, organizations are more inclined to create sustainable practices based on consumer demand and the willingness of leadership to participate in sustainability programs.

The current study will support the need to create new, environmentally sustainable and socially responsive organisations, whilst enhancing company values (Closs, et al; 2011). Decision makers will develop a positive attitude towards sustainable development. It will present an opportunity for the organisation to be pro-active in discussing sustainability issues and it will also present an opportunity for the organisations to partner with

This definition is almost identical to that of the Brundtland Report’s view on global sustainability. Many organizations and corporations have since then embedded the Brundtland Report’s concepts of sustainability and sustainable development, whether it’s for genuine care for the world or the desire to increase positive publicity to consumers. But the process of determining and implementing the definition can be tricky as many struggle with twisting around the term with its broad and interpretable definition. Many arguments have surrounded the issue of when a company releases its sustainable development progress to the stakeholders, they will reap many advantages that are not usually associated with releasing this soft of data in an annual financial

Drawing upon the readings, the international community and significant figures in the environmental community have no real answer for tension between “humans” and “nature”. Each article or podcast brought a different view to the table. As discussed in the “Conservation in the Anthropocene: Beyond Solitude and Fragility” article, the authors insist that nature has become more of a commercial business. The idea of nature has changed over the years to include long-established human interactions with nature. The humans have built hotels, dams, parks, and imposed laws in nature that have made wilderness less wild and more human constructed. The conservationists have pitted people against nature, causing anger within communities. Therefore, the conservationist

Sustainable Capitalism in short is a method in order to maximize long-term growth and protect the stakeholder’s needs, all while considering all costs associated (Huffington Business, 2013). Taking into consideration the environmental factors associated with doing business along with the economic, social and governance criteria is believed to be a driving force to long-term sustainability (Bethel University, 2015). Within the environmental category, the manifesto released by GenerationIM proposes that companies identify the risks of their business and record the footprint being generated by their processes.

Sustainability can be defined as ‘Adopting business strategies and activities that meet the needs of the enterprise and its stakeholders today while protecting, sustaining and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future.’ (Labuschagne, et al., 2005) This essay will look at sustainability with the view of the triple bottom line, which is in some ways expressed in this definition with ‘human and natural resources’. By looking at the triple bottom line as concept developed by John Elkington, and cited by many scholars, the essay will look at the importance of each of the three elements (economic, social and environmental impact) to business.

Human civilization has not existed for a very extended period of time in comparison to the Earth itself. Yet, I have no fear in saying that no other creature has had such a momentous impact on the ecological systems here. This paper will cover a modern environmental issue, which has more flows and social structures involved than a hydro plant built on Facebook. From here I will connect another long standing pattern within this, and a childhood influence, that never ceases to amaze. I will also do a cross comparison for what each means for the other, and examine direct flows and ideas linked to sustainability

Although our actions towards the environment, especially within the past 150 year, may not have been favorable, nevertheless the historical and global attitudes toward nature has always been one of reverence. The proof of this reverence can be seen through religion. It can also be inferred from our interests in science and the fact throughout history there have always been advocates for the preservation of nature. These notions are not limited to a section of the world, but have independent roots in many cultures and societies world wide.

All too often human society tends to view itself as outside of, disconnected from, nature. This way it’s easier to justify our endless feast upon nature’s bounties, that are, in fact, not a buffet. This notion is utterly wrong as we literally are just as much of a piece of the environment as the wind and soil themselves. On a grand timeline, only recently did we begin to understand and practice the principle of sustainability. Today, untenable production methods, over consumption and an ever increasing population test our use of finite materials like never before. That’s all sustainability is really, reaching a reasonable balance between what makes us prosper as a society and our depletion of earths limited assets. One can fall on either

Sustainability is not just a concept of being environment friendly but it is a contemporary of corporate social responsibility .The current world financial situation has put the limitations on sustainability

The triple bottom line concept has changed the way businesses measure sustainability and the performance of policies. The flexibility of the triple bottom line concept also allows businesses to apply the concept in a way that is most beneficial to their specific needs. It can also improve more than just a business’s financial line, it can improve the way people treat others within an organization as well as reduce their negative impact on the environment.

Sustainability in general is ensuring that the resources needed for the future are preserved and do not run out today. It has become clear that the infinite wants of the consumer in today’s society has put a strain on the worlds resources, this means scarcity has become a greater issue. Scarcity in general is that there are not enough resources to meet the wants of consumers. As a result it has become more important for businesses to come up with new methods of producing renewable energy and reducing the amount of resources required in their production process. A way of measuring a business’s sustainability is how a firm conducts its triple bottom line. The triple bottom line consists of three elements a business will have to face, these