Sustainability: a business changing concept

Sustainability means satisfying our current needs without compromising future generations’ resources. This concept tries to prove that there are effective ways we can do business and still take care of the environment, reach social justice, and make a profit from it, all at once.

Sustainability is much more than just a word: it is a lifestyle, and companies should consider it while defining their strategic planning.

Business sustainability comes with constant innovation, which in the long run ensures the company’s longevity.  In order to achieve this, companies must seek three interacting dimensions: society, environment, and economy, all to gain sustainable development.

When we include sustainable development in strategic planning, it allows for-profit organizations to increase their incomes while helping the environment and their communities.

Companies could redefine what they understand “success” is and take a bigger role in solving social and environmental issues, which usually rely on NGOs.

This is much more than corporate social responsibility; although it is also important, corporate social responsibility is just a part of the concept of sustainability. 

It is time for companies to jump into this journey. There is a long way to go before this can be accomplished, but incorporating sustainability in companies’ culture (mission, vision, strategic goals, and business model) is one way to start…

Andrea Beltrán, socia de Auren Uruguay

beltran.andrea@auren.uy