Topic > Making sustainability work in business

Environmental protection has become an important issue in today's society. There is no longer any doubt that businesses must consider their social responsibility and the impact of their activities on their stakeholders. Furthermore, companies are starting to realize that corporate sustainability can prove to be a win-win for everyone. The benefits of sustainability are many, linked to costs, revenues, community relations and more. The decision to strive for sustainability is obvious, but this process is easier said than done. Developing a sustainability strategy is difficult in itself, but the most challenging factor is actual implementation. Marc J. Esptein, author of Making Sustainability Work: Best Practices in Managing and Measuring Corporate Social, Environments, and Economic Impacts, provides companies with tactical methods and approaches, as well as real-life examples and personal advice to help them help companies with achieving of corporate sustainability. Epstein introduces a new framework for implementing corporate sustainability. He claims that by addressing the non-financial aspects of business, companies can improve profits and achieve superior returns. Sustainability can be divided into nine principles. These components include ethics, governance, transparency, business relationships, financial return, community involvement and economic development, value of products and services, employment practices and environmental protection. All these sections should be taken into consideration while working towards business sustainability. It is crucial that everyone within the company is committed to the overall goal and holds themselves accountable. The primary elements of being responsible include employing… half the paper… can be a disadvantage, but it can also serve as an advantage. Each department is able to contribute significantly through areas such as procurement, research and development, marketing, manufacturing, legal, management accounting, financial reporting and audit. It is highly unlikely that any company has fully integrated or achieved sustainability, but numerous companies have made important steps forward. Companies work tirelessly to improve their sustainability performance and reduce negative social and environmental impacts. Whether companies choose sustainability on their own or are subject to external pressure, companies are on the right path. With such a broad impact on society, businesses have great influence that they can use to initiate progress. The environment has been abused long enough and it's time for companies to take responsibility.