MD Haque, Genesee Valley Center, SUNY Empire State College writes:
“Concern over the impact of business activities on the natural environment has never been greater. At the same time, some organizations’ proactive steps to mitigate these impacts have never been so prevalent. Nonetheless, many businesses still do not address environmental issues in a strategic manner, and many managers motivated to take action on environmental issues may not be implementing such moves through sound strategy. This topic introduces the student to the emerging role that sustainability plays in all facets of business at both the operational and strategic levels. The underlying premise of the course is that sustainable business practices lie at the core of an organization’s ability to compete and survive in a resource-constrained world with a growing population. Study in this area will give students a broad and practical understanding of sustainability concepts, and provide increased awareness of how the challenges associated with sustainable development are multifaceted involving economic, social and environmental concerns. These concerns are altering business strategies and practices and are leading to new opportunities.”
Below is a list of resources on this topic. Find a more complete list of resources with links for learning and teaching about this topic on our Pinterest site: Follow Sustainability’s board Sustainable Business on Pinterest.
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins
The Ecology of Commerce Revised Edition: A Declaration of Sustainability, Paul Hawkins
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, Michael Braungart
Confessions of a Radical Industrialist: Profits, People, Purpose- Doing Business by Respecting the Earth, Ray Anderson
The Sustainable Economy (Harvard Business Review), Yvon Chouinard, Jib Ellison, Rick Ridgeway
The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition, Michael H Shuman
Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto, Adam Werbach
Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World, Gary Hirshberg
Web Resources
This link will take you to the blog “Better Things”; a blog about connecting smart business strategy with energy efficiency. https://nyserdasolutions.org/blog/
Web Articles
Walmart’s Sustainability Strategy (B): 2010 Update Source: Stanford Graduate School of Business 21 pages. Publication Date: Oct 15, 2010.
Winning in the Green Frenzyby Gregory Unruh, Richard Ettenson Source: Harvard Business Review 7 pages. Publication Date: Nov 01, 2010.
The Clorox Company: Leveraging Green for Growth by Elie Ofek, Lauren Barley Source: Harvard Business School 27 pages. Publication Date: Jul 27, 2011.
A New Dynamic: Effective Business in a Circular Economy, Edited by Ellen McArthur Foundation