Food Processing & Agriculture manow
Finding Viable Sustainability
Measurements and
Reporting Standards
by Michelle Gall, Senior Manager, Food Processing & Agriculture
Group, and Robert L. Bunting, Chair, Sustainability Services
Group, and Steering Committee Member, International
Integrated Reporting Committee
Some call it the triple bottom line—also known
as people, planet, and profit. Or the three Es—
equity, environment, and economy. No matter
how you refer to it, around the world companies
of all shapes and sizes are embracing sustainable
business practices.
There are many vague definitions of
sustainability, but the United Nations describes it
well: It’s about meeting “the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”
Today, a growing number of companies
understand the effect of sustainability; their
top and bottom lines will increasingly depend
on how deeply they commit to these practices
and how accurately they track, measure, and
report on their progress. It’s a looming financial
imperative, and many large global enterprises
have already plowed significant time, energy, and
resources into their efforts. But so have small
and medium-sized firms on Main Street. Indeed,
a recent study of 20,000 of these companies
in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina
found that 70 percent are adopting sustainable
business practices because they accelerate
success.
