An Approach For Measuring Sustainability Performance

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

The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) accounting concept and framework was first created by John Elkington in the mid 1990’s, and has since changed the way for-profit, non-profit and government agencies measure the sustainability of their initiatives and company. The TBL framework is flexible and can be adopted and molded based on the specific needs of an organization. The framework is comprised of three parts, which are: social (People), environmental (Planet), and financial (Profit), commonly referred to as 3Ps. This framework does spark debate regarding the ethical problems behind measuring, quantifying and accounting for social and environmental variables, which is often not supported by many

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.

Business sustainability is achieved when the business successfully manages the triple bottom line. This is the process of managing the financial, social and environmental risk that a certain business will face. The consequences of business sustainability are not only the long-term success of the company but also that it becomes an appealing opportunity for potential investors as sustainability is rapidly becoming an increasingly vital component of any business.

In sustainability: The New Holy Grail, Miller argues that people who question the United States ability to become more sustainable devalue American innovation. The arguments made throughout his article however seem one sided and aggressive. Millers out view on things are from a religious outlook making his points seem unreliable.

TBL is a sustainable model for business that balances financial success, community participation together with ecological sustainability. The firm which employs triple bottom line towards capturing the set significances, processes as well as issues of the company might decrease and determine whichever harms resulting from company’s operations then create economic, social as well as environmental values of that the company. The model typically outlines that everything is supposed to taken into account that needs of the company 's shareholders, employees, stakeholders, governments, clients, business partners, local communities together with the entire public. Reporting through Triple bottom line (TBL) is currently turning out to be more ordinarily used across several sectors within

Melting glaciers, depleting water resources and decreasing air quality needs immediate attention. Everyone needs air and water to survive. Business started practicing sustainable accounting in mid-70. This practice discloses non-financial and financial information related to the business activities that has direct impact on society and its environment (air, water, people etc.). Companies use triple bottom line method to calculate the impact of business activities on society and based on these calculation companies makes policies which make its operation more ecologically and socially

To a regular person, the global concern about ‘going green’ might appear as a result of speculation from nervous politicians and alarmed citizens. But the reality is totally different. In recent years, businesses have gained much knowledge about the impact of their activities on environment and in turns their customers. Businesses are successively venturing to earn greater revenues. In this process, they are trying out every best possibility to entice their contributors- from customers to investors. Regardless to say, stakeholders these days are more socially responsible than ever. So to keep up to their expectations, businesses are also trying to expand or limit their activities to save the environment- from doing relentless research on lowering waste to lean management and even trying out various eco-friendly activities. Despite of all these, the ultimate question remains unanswered if it is financially beneficial to adapt those initiatives that is going to serve the

This is usually in reference to the resources of our environment so that future generations will be able to live like we have. In terms of business, sustainability can be defined as having minimal negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy. The triple bottom line is a framework, or measure, of sustainability made up of three parts: social, environmental, and financial. These three divisions are also referred to as the three P’s: people, planet, and profit and in turn are the three pillars of sustainability. The idea behind the triple bottom line concept is that companies are primarily responsible to all of their stakeholders, including everyone involved directly or indirectly with the company, as well as this planet. The triple bottom line concept is an improvement in the strategy plans of a manager over the old concept of a single bottom line for a few reasons. 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

McManus, B. (2009). Vital to Business Survival: Assessing the Impact of Environmental Pressures. GreenBiz, 1-4.

TBL is a sustainable model for business that balances financial success, community participation together with ecological sustainability. The firm which employs triple bottom line towards capturing the set significances, processes as well as issues of the company might decrease and determine whichever harms resulting from company’s operations then create economic, social as well as environmental values of that the company. The model typically outlines that everything is supposed to taken into account that needs of the company 's shareholders, employees, stakeholders, governments, clients, business partners, local communities together with the entire public. Reporting through Triple bottom line (TBL) is currently turning

As far as good news is concerned, the report explains the company’s success in their top three

With the development of the global economy, the interaction between environment and companies became more important, therefore, throughout macro environment analysis, which includes political, economic, social, environment, legal and technology (PESTEL) that provides an indispensable part in the comprehensive list to understand opportunities and threats on the businesses (Searle and Barbuto, 2010). In this industry, political, economy and technology would mainly influence the strategies, thus

Sustainability is regarded as a goal of any business. The accounting framework, to support sustainability goal is called as the triple bottom line (TBL).It focus on performance of an organization with the interrelated dimensions of profits, people and the planet.

Business people today are more aware about the social and the environment impact of their business than in the past. They start taking into account activities in helping others and preserving the environment as a main part of their business model. Business is no longer solely aim for profit as they have much larger purpose than that. However, to achieve that purpose, the business people need the Government and NGOs to create strong synergy in achieving the desirable outcome.