Business and the Environment
Why Sustainability Is Good for Business
The notion that the
environment should be treated as a person is relatively new. But given
the prominence of the environmental movement worldwide, no well-managed
business today should be conducted without an awareness of the tenuous
balance between the health of the environment and corporate profits. It
is quite simply good business practice for executives to be aware that
their enterprise's long-term sustainability, and indeed its
profitability, depend greatly on their safeguarding the natural
environment. Ignoring this interrelationship between business and the
environment not only elicits public condemnation and the attention of
lawmakers who listen to their constituents, but it also risks destroying
the viability of the companies themselves. Virtually all businesses
depend on natural resources in one way or another.
Progressive
corporate managers recognize the multifaceted nature of sustainability -
a long-term approach to business activity, environmental
responsibility, and societal impact. Sustainability affects not only the
environment but also other stakeholders, including employees, the
community, politics, law, science, and philosophy. A successful
sustainability program thus requires the commitment of every part of the
company. For example, engineers are designing manufacturing and
production processes to meet the demands of companies dedicated to
sustainability, and the idea of company-wide sustainability is now
mainstream. Many of the largest companies in the world see
sustainability as an important part of their future survivability.