What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is generally defined as the ability to meet our present needs without endangering the long term well being of the environment or society. However, when applied to business operations and facilities, sustainability translates to smart management:
- Using less resources to achieve the same end results
- Re-using resources as opposed to purchasing new
- Turning costs into benefits
- Creating new investment strategies and opportunities
- Creating a competitive advantage within your industry and market
- Promoting cost savings
Goal of Sustainability
The ideal goal of sustainability is that business operations and facilities should not merely limit environmental and social impacts, but rather eliminate them all together. Taken a step further, a sustainable business conducts operations to enhance environmental and social quality.
Sustainability = Win-Win-Win
Neither the environment nor society has to be compromised to achieve operational goals and maintain the bottom line. A balance can be found that creates a win for business, a win for the environment, and a win for society. Sustainability recognizes that protecting the environment, stimulating economic growth, and maintaining the well-being of society are interconnected, each reinforcing the other. The sustainability community commonly refers to such responsible operations as conducting business with a sustainability lens or a triple bottom line.
If you have any questions regarding sustainability, please feel free to contact us at info@jhkss.com.