Questions On A Business Case For Sustainability

The main purposes of this talk are to share a powerful vision for sustainable commerce and business logics of sustainability.

According to the textbook, the triple bottom line is known as the people, planet and profit that measures an organization’s social, environmental and financial performance. The Chief Financial Officer at UPS stated that his approach is established in two beliefs “that companies have a responsibility to contribute to society and the environment, and that every investment a company makes should return value to the business.” The company has a responsibility to help the society and concern about the environment with the objective of gaining profit. UPS has established a five-step approach toward sustainability that will balance the needs of various elements. Therefore, one is too assessing your strengths, which will offer to make a major effect

Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is a concept, invented in 1994, that it has come up with the three factors that company should follow in order to become sustainable including people, planet and profit (“Triple bottom line”, 2009). In the present time, many companies are more aware of becoming a sustainable company. This is because of the fact that many people today believe that in order for big corporations to become successful, they must try to become sustainable. Tesco is an example of a big corporation that is currently aware of the TBL. However, it seems like there are still negative aspects of their sustainability.

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.

As a newly established area in accounting, sustainability accounting and reporting extends the traditional model of financial and non-financial reporting to incorporate the company’s operational information, social and environmental activities, and their ability to deal with related risks. Not only do these acts have effects on society and the environment, but they also directly impact company’s financial statements. The most widely accepted definition of sustainability that has emerged over time is the “triple bottom-line”, which incorporates three key elements of performance: financial, social, and environmental viability (Slaper). These three aspects of sustainability reporting are also commonly referred to as the triple P’s: people, planet, and profit. Although sustainability has often been mentioned as the goal of many businesses, nonprofits and governments over the past decade (and studies have shown that an increasing number of companies and organizations are striving to make their operations more sustainable), determining how sustainable an organization is can become difficult and also raises many questions within this sub-group of accounting.

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

A company going green in today's corporate environment finds a lot of support. The level of tolerance for environmentally insensitive corporations is much lower than it has been in the past. For these

Many firms are learning that being environmentally friendly and sustainable has numerous benefits. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). This could enable them to increase goodwill from various stakeholders and also save money in the long term. This will mean that they are being more efficient and less wasteful of resources, which will enable them to be more competitive by satisfying stakeholders. The CEO of

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

Better World Books(BWB) is a company understands that business success is not only measured by its profit, for them people and the planet also matter. Therefore, BWB follows a triple bottom line model which allow to evaluate its performance better. The article states that the first pillar is the traditional economic value, which is measured through accounting and financial tools. The second pillar is the social commitment to the practices of the business to be promoted in the best interest of BWB’s shareholders. Lastly, the third pillar is its environmental commitment to creating a sustainable business. BWB aims to deliver and create value for its customers, employees, and shareholders. Currently, this is an efficient model for the company,

The competitive environment in today’s business world poses many dangers to the sustainability of the biosphere, which is so vital to life. Business organizations have a responsibility to help sustain and preserve the environment for future generations. Corporations must take initiative in developing business plans that incorporate sustainable business practices into the strategic direction of the organization. Successful achievement of a sustainable business plan also requires identification of barriers to implementation and development of strategies to overcome such barriers. In addition, to

Yvon Chouinard and Vincent stated, “Sustainability is a term that calls us not to take more from nature than we can give back.” Many Companies have failed to grasp this concept. It is startling to realize how much has been taken from nature and how little has been given back. A responsible company makes magnificent products, treats their workers well, improves the community, and protects nature. Humans need to realize that they are part of nature. They r in the process of destroying themselves when they act irresponsibly.

Sustainability has become a great topic of interest in many arenas. Particularly, leading organizations are recognizing sustainability needs to be an essential aspect of their long term strategies. With this recognition, better business practices are being sought by investors as well as sustainability is becoming a driving force for better efficiencies and innovation. Two organizations, Wal-Mart and Starbucks, have both took on sustainability as long term initiatives to address their customer needs and affect how their suppliers operate.

The Australian government is active in its move to promote and push for sustainable business practices, one of their more recent resolutions is the Clean Energy Legislation, which is made of individual bills covering levys on green house gases and fuel tax, this enforces corporations to oblige and making a move towards being green (Griffiths, 2012). However this means that certain organisations will do the bare minimum of what is required of them by law and nothing more. There are other initiatives in place to encourage sustainable business practices which are not legally binding, such as Sustainable Business Australia, who provide policy recommendations and resources for sustainability challenges (SBA, n.d). Companies who become members with SBA are held in high regards by their stakeholders as they abide by the recommendations regarding carbon action and resource solutions. There is also an emphasis on the people, and their crucial role in creating business value. Previously people were satisfied with just their basic needs being fulfilled, but no longer, we now see Maslow’s hierarchy of needs triangle unravelling as people require more to feel satisfied with themselves and what they do in their work space (Kiel, 1999). With encouragement from government and local communities, Australia is making an effort with great determination towards having the best sustainable business

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