What is Sustainability?
This is an interesting question with no clear answer. There is not one single established definition for sustainability, and there probably never will be. Sustainability means different things to different companies as well as industries. Sustainability really started with the whole concept of being green, becoming more environmentally friendly, and paying more attention to conserving our planet’s resources. However, sustainability has become much more than that. Sustainability is a megatrend that has turned into a viable business strategy which takes into account business sustainability, economic considerations, governmental issues, as well as strong opinions from customers and stakeholders.
Whether or not you know what sustainability will mean for your company or how to define it, sustainability is here to stay. Kevin Myette, Director of Product Integrity at Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) claims, “sustainability is the next quality movement,” and “transparency is no longer optional.” And, “it is no longer just for big companies.”
Defining Sustainability
Where did the term sustainability come from? The term sustainability actually emerged in the 1987 report by United Nation’s World Commission on Environment and Development (The Brundtland Commission) entitled Our Common Force. The Brundtland report simply defined sustainability as follows: to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Based on an urgent call by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the World Commission on Environment and Development was asked to formulate a global agenda for change.
The Commonalities of Sustainability
No matter how a company defines sustainability or how they choose to implement the concepts, there is a commonality to sustainability that runs from business to business and industry to industry. Sustainability creates a competitive business advantage while positively impacting the environment. In our experience, there are really two issues of sustainability—protecting resources and the environment while building stronger, more profitable, and sustainable companies.
Creating sustainability is a business strategy where the alignment of all organizational components is far stronger than any one individual component. Let’s take a look.
The single components include: People, Process, and the Environment. All three are important areas of focus. However when all three are aligned and focused on common goals and objectives, the advantage is substantial. Sustainability fosters long-term growth, Systems Thinking, profitability, customer loyalty, and community stewardship.
