2. Sustainability in other minds …
“Sustainability is no longer a ‘soft’ and tangential aspect to organization performance. A
sustainable approach to business activities is generating tangible business benefits for
organizations today, through a combination of operational efficiencies and market
growth opportunities.”
Simon Mingay, research VP at Gartner
"Sustainability is a condition of existence which enables the present generation of humans
and other species to enjoy social wellbeing, a vibrant economy, and a healthy
environment, and to experience fulfillment, beauty and joy, without compromising the
ability of future generations of humans and other species to enjoy the same."
Guy Daunce
“Achieving sustainable development is perhaps one of the most difficult and one of the
most pressing goals we face. It requires on the part of all of us commitment, action,
partnerships and, sometimes, sacrifices of our traditional life patterns and personal
interests".
Mostafa Tolba, Chairman of the Commission on Sustainable Development
3. Sustainability in my mind …
Sustainability in life is exactly the same as it is
in business. There is no difference. There
is even overlapping.
Every sustainable company produces or
supplies a product or a service which is
environmentally friendly and replaces (or
it aims to do that) the ones that are not. It
also tries to implement sustainability in
every business decision or action it makes.
Sustainable company is the one that meets
the needs of the present society of a
certain product or service, without
threatening the ability of the future
generations to meet their own needs of
that same product or service. And it even
helps to further develop or improve the
product/service for the next generations.
4. Challenges for corporations and business
1. Impact of their activity on
environment/ecology
2. Building corporate culture of
sustainability
3. Promoting and ensuring sustainability
within supply chains
4. Incorporating sustainability into
employee incentives
5. Identifying business risks, associated
with water/air/soil quality
6. Measuring the economic impact of
NIMBY-ism*
7. Energy use and global warming; limited
supply of resources
* NIMBY – not in my backyard
5. Three pillars of sustainability
• Environment
• Society
• Economy
6. About future managers …
• Constant innovation
• Resource efficiency
• Attention at health & safety
• Human rights and diversity
• Skills enhancement
• Capital efficiency
• Life-cycle management
• Emissions reductions
• Environmental regulations
• Social investments
• Margin improvement
• Growth enhancement
• Crisis management
• Environmental justice
• Business ethics
7. The 3 most important characteristics of a truly
sustainable company
… and
